Testing the Flame
by TheCrypticWriter
Summary: Book 3 in the SJ series. Things go from bad to worse for Serena when a werewolf hunter comes to town, his goal is to prove Darien is a wolf, her goal is to stop him, what will happen now? !Chapters 1220, plus Epilogue!
1. Prologue

Testing the Flame.

By: Cat Snoetygre

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

_It's been almost three weeks since I learned the truth about Lily, and since Darien contracted the virus. I personally don't know how everyone else feels, but I am not the happiest person on the planet. How could two of my best friends have turned spy on me? I thought that they had truly cared about me, but it seems that they didn't. _

_As far as Darien is concerned, I find myself wondering if maybe I should have stayed away. I came back thinking I was going to save everyone, but, in truth, I seem to have brought more trouble with me. I don't want anyone else involved in what happens to me, I learned my lesson when Rini and Darien were hurt. What would happen next time? Will someone get killed because of me?_

_The Ancients' reps will be here in a little over a week. Nikolai arranged it, telling me, on the phone, that by their own laws they have to accept what he gives them, because of the fact that he's allowing them to come to his town. Which I think is weird. I mean they are like the monsters under the bed of the vampire world. I would think that they would just go where they wanted, when they wanted. But I guess vampires have to ask permission to come into a new town, or something. Nikolai told me that in order for the Ancients to withdraw their contract, I have to play Vampire slave. We argued for a couple hours over that. Personally, I don't want to play anyone's slave. Nikolai calls it a servant. _

_But seriously, what's the difference between slave and servant, besides the fact that one gets paid?_

_Serena._

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_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. Please R and R  
_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Trouble

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena stood on her balcony staring over the walls surrounding the crystal palace, at the snow covered houses and buildings of New Tokyo. The breeze swept at her, whipping her robe around her legs and arms, seemingly intent at making sure she understood how cold it was. But she didn't care. The cold helped her feel numb.

A pressure had settled over her shoulders since she had returned to New Tokyo and she was beginning to feel more and more restless. Her thoughts kept straying to the fact that she should leave again, before someone got killed because of her. Her restlessness had kept her awake the night before, even reading her most boring mangas didn't seem to help.

She had the feeling that another episode was coming. She would be put in danger again, she knew, but she wouldn't let any of her friends be involved. She didn't think she could live with herself if someone got killed this time. As it was, she couldn't help but feel that she had lost Darien.

She knew she couldn't be with him, with everything that had happened recently, and was most likely going to happen, hanging over her head. She couldn't involve anyone else in her problems with the monsters, if she did she would be selfish, and she knew it.

She pushed herself away from the balcony and strode back into her room, frustrated. What had running away gotten her, she wondered with a frown. She had ended up returning to save everyone, and instead of saving the people she had wanted to, she had dragged them into her war. What a grateful friend she was. She plopped onto her bed and stared at the window, wishing that she had never become involved in the mess.

Someone tapped on Serena's bedroom door, and she found herself saying, "Come in," before she could stop herself. The door creaked open and Andrew's head appeared around the edge. He looked quickly around room, as if worried, before he spotted Serena and entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"What's going on?" He asked. "The girls told me that you haven't been out of your room for almost three weeks."

"Nothing." Serena growled, pointedly looking toward the window without seeing it. It was true that no one had seen her since Darien had come home from the hospital. She had literally locked herself into her room, only going out when she knew the others were asleep or out. Serena should have realized that the girls would have told Andrew about her hiding when, after their various attempts to talk to her, had failed.

She stared at him for a moment, studying him with open curiosity. He had been a source of her very first crush, until she kept running into Darien, and then found out that Darien was Tuxedo Mask. He still looked good, with short wavy dirty-blond hair, piercing light blue eyes, and a white toothy smile. He was tall, and had been lanky, until he had changed, then he filled out. His face didn't hold the casual smile that she had crushed out on. At the moment, he wore a concerned expression.

"Something is bothering you, Serena," Andrew said, his voice sounding patient, "do you wanna talk about it?" Serena shook her head at him.

"No."

"Serena, don't play games. You can't stay locked up in here. Life goes on." Andrew stated sounding a little more flustered. "Darien isn't hurt or anything-."

"That isn't bothering me." Serena snapped, launching to her feet, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "It has nothing to do with that."

"And he's already started talking to everyone again." Andrew finished as if Serena hadn't spoken. Serena shook her head.

"You don't get it, do you?" Serena snapped, her voice climbing in pitch as she spoke. "I don't care! I don't care at all! There is nothing bothering me! GET OUT!!" The final two words were a shriek. Andrew's eyes grew wide as she spoke. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then turned and fled.

Serena felt a cold twinge of satisfaction, which was immediately replaced with a strong sense of guilt and a cold wave of loneliness. Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the closed door.

* * *

Darien leaned lazily against the wall, listening to Andrew talk to Serena through the door. She started yelling and, a moment afterwards, Andrew erupted from the room looking half frightened. Darien sighed. "I told you it wouldn't work." He told his long time friend.

Andrew shook his head, "you two are the worst people to talk to when you are down on yourselves. I remember when I could just walk up to Serena pat her head and get a smile out of her."

"That was a long time ago." Darien sighed. "I think all of us have changed since then." He froze as sounds of muffled crying drifted through the closed door. "She's crying." He stated, hearing his own voice echo the depression he sensed seeping through the door. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the emotion. "She just needs to be alone."

"Darien… I don't think that that is a good idea. I think she feels guilty. She might think what happened to you was, and is, her fault." Andrew said shakily, glancing at the door behind him. Darien felt a brief flare of jealousy, seeing the concern flick across his friend's face, but quickly dismissed it. He shoved off of the wall, and started walking toward his room without waiting for Andrew.

"I think that, for a while, its best if we leave her alone." Darien growled. He felt Andrew's slight jump of surprise at his comment.

"You're not worried that she's gonna take off again?" Andrew asked. Darien stopped, letting Andrew bump into him.

"I'm always worried about that." Darien said quietly.

"We can't watch her, Darien." Andrew stated bluntly. "The full-moon is in two days."

"You don't think I know that?" Darien growled, suddenly angry. "I can feel it, Andrew, just like you can."

Andrew flinched, but didn't back off. Darien sighed, hanging his head, trying to fight the flare of fury. "Sorry." He mumbled. Andrew nodded.

"We can ask the vamp-." Andrew started.

"No." Darien snapped, gritting his teeth. "I don't want them anywhere near her. Besides, I don't want her to feel trapped."

"I don't think you are being too smart where Serena is concerned." Andrew stated, as they resumed their walk toward Darien's room.

"I don't think you know her as well as you used to." Darien replied.

The moment they reached his room, Darien's phone began to ring. He strolled to the nightstand where the phone sat, almost hoping that the phone would stop ringing by the time he got to it, but no luck. "Yes?" he asked, barely able to keep the growl out of his tone.

"I need to talk to Andrew, Darien. Quickly!" A panicked woman's voice stated through the receiver. Darien, his curiosity peaked, silently handed the phone to Andrew. As soon as the woman on the phone, who, Darien suspected, was Rita, was sure that she was talking to Andrew, she launched into a fearful cluster of words that neither Darien, who could hear her as plain as if he was holding the phone himself, nor Andrew understood. The only things that they were able to get out of the whole anxious garble of words were "hunter" and "kill."

"Ok, Rita. Come on, sweetheart. Calm down. Take a breath, ok?" Andrew spoke reassuringly into the phone, looking even more worried than he had looked when they had been talking about Serena.

"The hunter. The one everyone was telling us about…. HE'S HERE." Rita panicked again, launching into a barely understood story about how she found out. Finally, Andrew managed to calm Rita down before hanging up the phone. He turned to Darien with a pale face.

"We have trouble." He stated with a shaky breath.

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_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. I will not respond to flamers. All I ask, if you do have something to say against my writing, is that you word it politely._


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Problem One

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena had finally forced herself to stop crying, and was wiping her face when a sudden swelling of energy brought the contents of her stomach out of her. She tried to clamp down on herself as another wave of nausea passed through her, and barely contained herself. She knew instantly that it was Darien and Andrew's energies merging in an almost terrifying storm. 

She forced her heart back into her chest, tried not to think of her suddenly swimming stomach, and quickly dressed. She was pulling her waist length golden hair into her customary pigtails when her door slammed open, and Darien thundered into the room. His dark blue eyes swept the room before settling on her.

Darien's energy swarmed over her, pulling a gasp from her throat before she could stop it, and another wave of nausea, that almost brought her to her knees. He took a step toward her, then stopped, looking almost angry. She forced herself to straighten, again ignoring the rolling of her stomach, hoping that her legs wouldn't give completely out.

Serena stayed frozen, feeling more like a rabbit caught in the headlights with every passing moment, but she couldn't seem to make herself move, or even say anything. She wasn't sure why she should feel so frightened, but for some reason she did, and she couldn't stop the feeling. Her heart hammered ominously in her ears as the silence between the two of them grew.

Darien, apparently sensing her discomfort, said softly, "We have a problem."

Serena felt herself stiffening up, preparing for a verbal onslaught about how dumb she was acting.

"There is a hunter in town by the name of Mr. Thomas. I don't really understand the whole of it, but Andrew says that he will explain everything to you if you come downstairs." Darien stated almost lazily.

Serena let out the breath that she didn't realize she had been holding and nodded. She quickly finished her last pigtail and started for the door. Just before she could reach it, Darien's hand caught her arm. His energy leaked over her skin, masking the warmth of his touch, along with it came the tingling sensation that had always been there whenever he touched her. She caught herself before she jerked her arm away from him. She wasn't accustomed to feeling his energy, and every time she felt it, it reminded her of what she had done. She turned her eyes on Darien, hoping that her feelings weren't being betrayed on her face.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She didn't trust herself to speak, so she nodded, before pulling her arm from beneath his hand.

She forced herself to walk calmly out of her room and down the hall, fully aware of Darien behind her.

* * *

Darien stared after Serena as she focused on the floor in front of her, obviously waiting for Andrew to talk. She looked miserable, and Darien was sure that she was frightened. He could smell it coming off of her in waves. He shook his head mentally, glancing at Andrew. 

He looked as concerned about Serena's behavior as Darien felt. But he only shrugged before beginning to explain what the problem was.

"I don't know if anyone knows this, but the existence of my kind is known of in China, Japan and Germany." Andrew said, with a frown. "The problem with the knowledge is that Lycans are hunted very regularly in those places. Most of the Lycanthrope population moved to other countries to avoid being found out, or worse." He raked a hand through his sandy hair in a familiar frustrated gesture. Darien frowned. "The Lycans were only discovered in those countries in the last ten years, by a man named Mr. Thomas. He is a hunter. I think that he was a big game hunter and he got bored with the game he hunted. I don't know exactly how he found out about us, but since he did, he has hunted my kind, mercilessly." Andrew began to pace back and forth around the room, his attention moving inward, as he seemed to ignore Darien and the others.

"At first, he seemed to be content to just kill us. But ten years ago, he caught one of our kind and showed them to the local government. They realized the truth and outlawed us. The other countries thought it was just a hoax, which is why it isn't generally spoken of. So he went to other countries and started capturing lycanthropes to prove our existence. Until recently, he was in America." Andrew paused, glancing around the room. His gaze met and held Darien's. "But he came here in search of a 'Grand Prize'. He found out that someone in our local government is a Werewolf and he wants to capture that wolf to prove to the rest of the government and to the world that Lycans exist."

"How do you know all of this?" Amy asked, looking quizzically at him.

Andrew smiled slightly. "One of his fellow hunters happens to be a Tiger." Andrew replied. "He has been helping a lot of the Lycans escape, or to do a switch. Replace the Lycan with the creature that the beast represents." Andrew added as an afterthought.

"Aren't you worried about your friend?" Mina asked with a frown.

"Wolves and the others have no love lost between them. Most of the time we fight over feeding grounds." Andrew stated.

"So what are we supposed to do about it?" Raye asked. "That doesn't really seem like our problem." She was staring out the window at the snow-covered gardens as if she wished she were outside.

Andrew once again held Darien's gaze. "Because he has marked Darien."

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_AN: Please read and review._

_AN: Thank you, Padfootcc, enchantedmoon89, moonqueen, ffgirlmoonie, and moonbunnyy for your nice reviews. How are you liking the story, now, iluvboys? I hope everyone is enjoying the stories that I have written. (Im sorry my note is so short, I just woke up smiles) As always if you have any comments or questions please leave them in a review and I will answer them at the bottom of the next chapter. Thanx again all! _


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Problem Two

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena felt her heart stop at the statement. She looked up, bewildered, to see Darien grow pale.

"How could he know that Darien is a wolf when he's only been a wolf for little over a month?" She asked louder than she had wanted. She cleared her throat to cover her embarrassment.

"We think he has a confidante inside one of the packs. Most likely in one of ours." Andrew said, barely keeping the anger from his voice. "It would be in his best interest to release some Lycans to give him information if he needed it."

"But wouldn't the lycanthropes just take off and not return to him?" Amy asked, looking confused.

"Not if he put tracking devices in their skin, or on something they own. Or maybe he's holding someone hostage…" Andrew frowned letting the thought drop.

Serena felt the world crash around her. She had caused all of it. Darien's change, and now the threat to his life. She wasn't listening anymore, she couldn't. She forced herself to stare at the ground again; her heart somewhere in her stomach as her guilty thoughts swam in a tumult through her mind.

She didn't hear the phone ring, and was surprised to see it thrust in front of her face.

"It's Molly." Darien said softly as a small argument erupted behind him. Serena took the phone, wondering what else could happen.

"Hi, Moll." She said, trying to sound normal. "What's up?"

"The Ancients' representatives are here." Molly whispered, her voice cracking with fear.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, also in a whisper. Catching herself, she spoke normally, "They aren't supposed to be here until next week."

"They are here. Serena. Now." Molly whispered chokingly, sounding like she was on the verge of panic. Serena felt her throat grow tight with worry for her friend.

"What happened?" She asked.

"They… they… Oh, my god, Serena. They are horrible." Serena could tell that Molly was crying, and terrified.

"Where is Nikolai?" Serena asked.

"I… don't know. He got mad at them, I think… I don't know what's going on."

"Do they know that you are on the phone right now?"

"No… I'm hiding behind the counter."

"Where?"

"The counter, behind the counter."

"No, I mean where are you?"

"Oh, Limbo-." She screamed and the phone wire went dead. Serena gasped, shocked.

"Molly?" She asked, hoping somehow that the dial tone was in the background. "Molly?" She raised her voice. No answer except the droning of the phone. Serena put the phone in the cradle then realized that everyone was watching her. Serena realized that Darien was asking the same question over and over again.

"What happened?" Darien asked looking anxious.

"Nothing." Serena stated instantly. She got to her feet. "Molly wanted me to meet her. I'll be back shortly." She strode into the hall before breaking into a run.

"Wait, Serena. This isn't the time!" Darien shouted behind her. She forced herself not to pay attention to him as she shoved a hand into her pocket for her keys the moment she burst from the main doors. Her keys bounced against her fingertips. Finally, forcing herself to slow down so she could fish them out of her pocket, she was able to pull them out of the twisted fabric of her pants.

She wasted no time climbing into her new jeep, getting it started, and backing out of the garage. But when she pulled out to the driveway, Darien was standing in the way. She clenched the steering wheel, tried to force herself to smile, and slowed down. He stepped off to the side, frowning.

"What's going on?" He asked, when she pulled abreast to him.

"Molly wanted to talk to me, its nothing." Serena said, trying to swallow her impatience. She wondered if the vampires would hurt Molly, but somehow felt that they wouldn't mess with a little fish, but they would hurt Nikolai if they could. The thought made her palms sweat.

She pulled her palms off the steering wheel and wiped them on her pants. "Look, I have to go. I'll talk to you later." She stated, deliberately pushing down hard on the gas pedal to cut off anything else he might have said. Her jeep fishtailed madly for a second before she gained control and turned into the road.

It didn't take long to reach Limbo Dance Hall. There was almost no traffic, due to the snow. Serena guessed that most people had decided to stay inside where it was warm, and she didn't blame them. The only reason she wasn't at home cuddled in her blankets with a cup of hot cocoa was because she needed to know what was going on with Molly and the others.

She bit her lip as she pulled into the dance hall's parking lot and climbed from the jeep, and then stopped after taking a couple steps toward the entrance. "Dammit." She muttered. She hadn't put on a gun at the palace and still hadn't put a spare in the jeep, since she had only bought it a couple days earlier. Glancing around, she wondered what she could use as a weapon.

A small neon sign in the window of a decrepit little store caught her attention. Guns. Just what she needed. She tried to look innocent as she jogged to the store and tried the handle. It was locked. Without taking the time to think, she balled her hand into a fist, took aim at the glass on the top part of the door and closed her eyes. The glass shattered easily as she thrust her hand through. She felt around the inside of the door until her fingers clasped the lock. It clicked at her coaxing and swung open.

The little shop was dark and musty, as if no one had been there in a while, but the faint smell of oil told her that there would be guns laying around. She closed her eyes, trying to force them to adjust quickly to the darkness before the cops showed up. When she opened her eyes, she was relieved to see guns all around her.

She grabbed a small hand pistol that she didn't recognize and a sawed off shotgun, spare ammo for both guns, a small crossbow, and a quiver of crossbow arrows, then ran from the shop, hoping that cops wouldn't be waiting outside. She would have had fun explaining why the Princess of New Tokyo had broken into a gun store. No cops waiting to arrest her, oh goodie.

Turning her attention to the entrance of the dance hall, she realized for the first time that it was silent. There was no crowd standing in line to get in, no music blaring from the thick walls, no burly vampire bouncer, no cars in the parking lot, nothing. She pushed experimentally at the door, expecting it to be locked like the gun shop had been, but it swung inward with a slight screech. She should mention that to Nikolai. How she was supposed to launch a surprise attack on the Limbo would be extremely difficult with the hinges needing oiling.

Her cover was blown; if any vampire was in the building they would have heard the noise. And there were defiantly vampires in the building she could feel the chilled energy. She pushed the nose of the sawed off shotgun into her pants, praying that she wouldn't accidentally take her leg off if it came to a fight, wrapped the straps for the quiver and crossbow over her shoulder, put the extra ammo in her pockets, then cupped the pistol in both hands and walked into the main dance floor.

Silence greeted her, and for once the lights were set at a steady white glow, instead of blinking brashly and making her feel like she was in an old horror movie. Nothing moved at all. For a moment, she felt like she was in a western, the sheriff walking into a barren town to meet with the inevitable gunfight.

Glancing at the bar, and hoping Molly had gotten to safety, she started across the room toward the door labeled 'Employees Only.' A small sound caused Serena to pause, glancing around; she didn't see anything and turned back to the door, only to stop in shock.

A woman stood in front of the door, completely nude.

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_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. I will not respond to flamers. All I ask, if you do have something to say against my writing, is that you word it politely._


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Darien's Mistake

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

The woman smiled slightly at Serena's surprise. Her ice blue eyes, framed by long flowing black hair and caramel colored skin, took on a malicious glint, as she seemed to look Serena over. Amazingly, she was slightly shorter than Serena, and probably everyone else Serena knew, but she made up for it with a slender, yet perfect, hourglass figure. A black collar graced her neck like a choker, a thin silvery chain dangled from the choker-style collar, hanging between perky breasts, past a taunt belly, to end at her knees. 

Serena felt heat crawl up her cheeks. She may have been used to seeing people dressed in extremely scanty clothing, but seeing a person naked was an entirely different matter. The woman laughed. Her throaty mirth echoed off the empty walls melodiously. "You Must be The Little Princess of New Tokyo." The woman stated with a thick African accent, making it sound as if she were capitalizing every word. Her black eyes twinkled in merriment. Serena didn't especially find anything about what was happening funny, but she smiled.

"Yeah." She said with a shrug. "I'm Serena."

The woman stalked forward, her movements reminding Serena of a tiger she had seen at the zoo once. Muscles rippled underneath her skin as she sauntered toward Serena. She prowled, around Serena, who never took her eyes off the beauty. Again she laughed, showing elongated eyeteeth. Serena frowned. She didn't feel like a vampire.

"I am Alianna." The woman said, as if she thought Serena would know her. Serena didn't know what to say so she just watched the woman, wondering what the hell was going on. "I can see why Nikolai wants you."

"Stop playing around, Alianna." A child's voice announced, sounding almost defiant, from almost directly behind Serena. "Keagan wants to meet her."

Serena whirled to face the new threat, which was a small girl with light brown hair and hazel eyes. The girl wore a little dress that looked like it had been originally designed to fit a doll.

"I will do as I wish." Alianna snapped, flicking some of her hair off of her chest, where, until then, it had covered her nipples from view. "For now, she is mine. Nikolai didn't give me anything to play with."

Energy slowly filled the room, like the small gusts of wind that slowly grow stronger leaving no one in doubt of the tornado that was about to strike. But Serena knew that there would be no tornado, especially since her skin was growing ice cold and goosebumps were breaking out on her arms, but she wasn't sure if there wasn't going to be a hailstorm. Serena stared at the girl with surprise. The girl had to be around four hundred years old, and rather powerful. She would have easily rivaled Nikolai.

"Forgive Alianna. She is spoiled by Keagan." The girl stated with a frown, never taking her eyes from the woman beside Serena. Serena couldn't help but wonder if the girl was jealous of the grown woman, if the girl was upset about never being able to grow up. Suddenly, the girl turned to her. "I don't like the fact that I am so small. I was five when I was turned. But that is not the issue at this time." She said. "Come, Keagan wants you. And Alianna, you might want to stay here, Keagan will be upset when I tell him you were hassling Miss Tsukino." The girl stated with impeccable manners that Serena found herself envying.

The girl waited for Serena to approach her before opening the door and entering the hall that lead to the offices. Serena kept the gun pointed at the floor, away from the little girl, wondering how she could get out of the building with Alianna guarding the entrance.

"You wont have to worry about that. If Keagan wants you to leave, he'll make sure you can get past her." The little girl said suddenly. Serena looked down at her.

"You can read my thoughts?" Serena asked, surprised.

The girl nodded, her hair bouncing slightly. "It's my talent." Then she frowned. "I thought you would know that if you were Nikolai's _meniake_."

"I don't retain information very well. What's a _meniake_?" Serena asked. The girl's frown deepened.

"I think that you would call it mate… or servant." She shrugged her small shoulders.

"So do all vampires read minds?" Serena asked curiously.

"No. Some can, I think. I've never asked. Each vampire can have their own talents, like summoning a creature. Nikolai can do that, so you know about that. Others can fly." The girl explained.

"Can they read minds _and_ summon animals?" Serena queried.

"No. Just one talent. I know one of the Ancients is capable of doing all of them, but he's the only one I know of."

Serena stopped as the girl opened the door to Nikolai's office. "Can you tell me what's going on? Where are Nikolai and Molly?"

The girl stared at her for a moment before shaking her head. Serena sighed, and wishing she knew what was going on, walked into the office.

* * *

Darien watched Serena turn the corner and frowned. Something was up and he knew it. But he didn't want to push himself on her. She seemed afraid for Molly after the phone call. All he had heard of the call was Molly's scream. 

He fought off the urge to take his car and follow her, and walked back into the palace to hear the three girls and Andrew talking. At the moment, he didn't feel like going back into the room. He considered going into the study and accessing Amy's computer, but decided against it. Instead, he headed for the kitchens, deciding on getting something to eat.

"Darien?" Raye asked from behind him. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "I'm…" She stopped, biting her lip. "What are you doing?"

"Going to get something to eat." He stated distractedly, hoping that he could tempt his stomach to pull his mind from the worried thoughts about Serena's strange flight from the palace. She nodded.

"Mind company?" She asked. He shrugged, and began to dig for the sandwich makings that Cook usually stocked up on for when someone wanted a snack, usually Serena. When he turned back around, Raye was sitting at the table, having made herself comfortable, staring at its top as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"What's up?" Darien asked, putting the food items on the table before going in search of bread. Raye caught his arm and turned him to face her. Before he could react, she stood up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his. Warmth spread through him, beginning at his mouth. He was even more surprised when he responded, by taking control of the kiss and pulling her against him. Instantly, his imagination kicked in, and his mind, it wasn't Raye he was holding, but Serena. His sweet Serena.

He found himself hungry for the contact, demanding entrance to the recesses of her mouth. Her tongue timidly touched his then his captured it. He felt her pulse begin to race, and found that he wanted more. He tightened his grip on her, pulling at her, as if he wanted to slip her inside of his skin. Urgency and need swept through him.

She moaned, bringing him back to reality. It wasn't like Serena to moan. In that second, it dawned on him that he had been kissing Raye. He didn't even remember when he had begun to think Raye was Serena.

Pushing Raye roughly away, he grabbed at his mouth. She took a tentative step toward him. "Stay away." He snapped, his voice sounding more like a growl than anything human. Staring at her, he wondered if he needed to be locked up in a mental asylum for the trick his mind had just played on him.

He turned to leave the room, and felt his mouth fall open as Mina, Luna and Andrew stood in the doorway staring at him.

* * *

_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. I will not respond to flamers. All I ask, if you do have something to say against my writing, is that you word it politely._

_AN: Thank you to Lunaeve, Rosebudjamie, Cosmoscrystal96, ffgirlmoonie, IndulgentWriter, Meagan Consoer, Lady Akina, Angel313, and Vinh, as well as my other readers. All of you keep me going, and point out things that I havent thought of, or have suggestions for me to use, thanks guys. _

_Cosmoscrystal 96 and IndulgentWriter: ;Smiles __Conspiringly; Sere and Dare? Who are they? OH Them!!! Well... maybe they do get together, maybe Sere gets together with Nikolai... hmmmmm. Interesting. _

_LadyAkina: ;tsks gently; My Dear... you know I cant tell ya, it would spoil the story. But I will let everyone know, this is not the Last Story. I believe that there is three more stories... I have three very different ideas, and it would be bad karma to use them all in one story... smiles_

_Vinh: ;LOL; This is Serena we're talking about. Since when has she ever learned a lesson the first time, or even the 50th??? ;Giggles; _


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ancients' Representatives

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena stepped into Nikolai's office and felt her stomach drop. Sitting behind Nikolai's desk was an older man, easily in his forties. He wore a black silk shirt with black lace around the wrist and neck, accenting the paleness of his skin. A golden chain dangled around his neck, complete with a gold piece. One ear was pierced, with a large golden hoop earring dangling from the lobe. His hair was light brown, tumbling in a mass of waves to his shoulders, but graying at the temples. His eyes were the same hazel as the little girl's. They could have been father and daughter they looked so much alike. While the little girl looked like a doll, he had managed to look like a wanna-be pimp. 

But he wasn't the reason that Serena felt like her stomach had turned into a lead weight.

Nikolai was sitting against the wall, well, not exactly sitting. His wrists had been chained to the wall. The manacles had to have been made from blessed silver, due to the fact that thin rivers of blood flowed down his perfectly white arms, standing out almost gruesomely. The shirt, which he apparently had been wearing before the Ancients' Representatives had come, was shredded into thin strips of fabric, some of them on the floor around him, others clinging to the edge of his pants. Narrow scratches marred the perfect white flesh of his chest, but were already healing. Which, had it been any other circumstances, Serena would have found interesting. The scratches were healing remarkably fast, but not when you actually looked at them. It was almost like watching a flower bloom, you could stare at it for what felt like an hour and not notice any change, then look back again, and notice that the petals had opened some.

Before Serena knew it, she was kneeling in front of Nikolai, brushing the long black hair out of his face. He opened his more red than blue eyes to stare at her with a glazed look. It seemed to take him a moment to realize who was kneeling next to him, but the moment he did, the look vanished. His expression registered surprise before becoming blank and impenetrable as a wall.

"Get out of here." He whispered so softly that Serena wondered if she had heard him at all.

"Whispering to her wont do you any good, Nikolai." A gruff voice stated from the direction of Nikolai's desk. "Come here, girl." Which sounded too much like an order for Serena to even pay attention to, instead she focused on the shackles holding Nikolai's wrists, and noted that while they had no padlocks on them, they did have tiny crosses all over them. She looked again at Nikolai's face, which alone seemed unmarked.

"Can you feel your hands?" She asked, not knowing what to say. Something flickered in his blue eyes and he nodded.

"Come here, girl!" The man behind Nikolai's desk growled. Serena again ignored him.

"You need to answer, or it will be the worst for all of us, Princess." Nikolai said softly.

"Quit calling me 'Princess.'" Serena stated, standing up. She turned to face the older man. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" She asked glaring at him.

The man looked taken aback for a moment, his eyes widening slightly. It was as if no one had ever asked him a question before. Serena mentally shook her head. The man frowned. "I do as I please."

"Yeah, I heard that from the Play-Boy bunny." Serena stated, and then bit her tongue when she realized that it wasn't the best idea to piss him off. "What do you want?"

"I think you already know." He drawled.

"Why does everyone assume I can read minds? Do you know how many bad guys say that? Can't you come up with anything original?" Serena asked more than a little frustrated at the superiority complex the man thought he had.

Suddenly, the man was standing directly in front of her. She stumbled backwards as his hand snapped out, clutching her neck. "Do not play games with me, girl." He growled.

"My… name…. Is…. Serena!" Serena gasped, trying to get a breath through his tight grip, but not willing to show weakness. She had a feeling that they would pounce on it. She realized that she no longer had her gun, and knew she had probably dropped it when she went for Nikolai. She was silently surprised and thankful that they didn't seem to notice the shotgun in her pants or a crossbow slung over her shoulder.

The man laughed letting her go. She fell to the floor not expecting the move.

"She has spirit, no?" He asked. "Nikolai, you have outdone yourself with this one." Serena stopped herself in the process of climbing to her feet to stare at the man.

"What do you mean?" She asked stupidly. Mentally she cursed herself. As if she cared that Nikolai had ex-lovers, or any lovers for that matter. She finished climbing to her feet and pulled the shotgun from her waistband. "I thought you all had rules to follow. What happened to the arrangement of coming next week?"

The man frowned. "Do not speak to me of our rules, girl. You have no clue what you are talking about."

"No, I don't. But from what I have been told, you have to abide by your own rules. If you can't follow your rules, why should any vampire follow them?" She asked, carefully aiming the barrel at him. "So you break your own rules… why? Cause it suits you. I don't think that is too cool, if you know what I mean."

He moved faster than she could track, ripping the gun from her fingers. She gasped in pain, as it went off, turning a couple inches of the wall next to Nikolai into powder. She clutched her trigger hand in the other and prayed that nothing was broken, even though it certainly felt as though her trigger finger might be. She forced her mind to forget the pain and to focus at the problem at hand.

"You speak of rules, yet you have broken them." The man stated, glowering.

Serena frowned. "Hey, I wasn't the one that just trespassed into someone else's territory when plans were made a week from now."

"No, but you are no more a servant to Nikolai than I am."

* * *

"It isn't what you think." Darien said stupidly, staring at his two friends and the cat. Luna looked the most upset, not saying anything but running down the hall as if the hounds of hell were after her. Mina's expression hardened as she turned to look at the raven-haired girl. 

"How could you?" She asked, her voice cracking with barely controlled rage. She glanced at Darien then turned without waiting for an answer and strode back down the hall. Darien stared after her, unsure what to say.

Finally, he turned to Andrew, expecting to see confusion on his best-friend's face, but the expression he saw there was nowhere close to confusion.

Anger marred Andrew's face, as he spoke, his voice icy cold, "you and Serena really had something good going, Darien. I think that whatever you are doing here, had better stay here. No wonder Serena is always upset when she catches you with Raye, I don't blame her." He turned and started down the hall.

"Wait, Andrew, I can explain."

"Famous last words." Andrew didn't pause, and soon vanished into the same room that Mina had gone into. Darien turned back toward Raye, anger crashed around inside of him, unlocking the rage of the beast that he could barely contain. But he couldn't be solely mad at her, no matter that she was the one that initiated the kiss. He had, after all, responded.

Raye stood palely to one side, her eyes showing anger equal to Darien's own. _How can she just be ok with what happened?_ Darien thought angrily. Out loud, he said, "Hope you are happy."

Raye turned to face him, and for the first time, he was afraid of her. He felt his beast coil inside his stomach as if it was going to strike at her, and he quickly clamped it down. Raye glanced at him but said nothing; instead she started working on the sandwiches that he hadn't made.

Darien, in no mood for food, left the room to see where Mina, Luna and Andrew were. He found them conversing with Amy, who looked pale and drawn while she held Luna. The moment she saw him, her dark blue eyes hardened, turning midnight blue. He knew that Andrew and Mina would tell her and probably Lita, when Lita got back from training, about what they had witnessed in the kitchens, but he wasn't sure if they would tell Serena or not. He didn't want to think about what would happen if Serena knew.

"Look! I can explain." He stated, letting a hint of his anger into his voice. "I went to get a sandwich and she…" He stopped. What was he going to say, 'she came on to me,' sounded like a flimsy excuse. Telling them that he somehow thought she was Serena would make him sound psychotic or worse, obsessive. Plus the little fact that no matter whom he thought she was, he still returned her kiss, full strength. He sighed. "Ok, I can't explain it. I would but it just doesn't sound right, so think what you want. But I didn't mean to do it at all."

He turned and stalked from the room, but as he did so he heard Amy tell the others, "I don't think we should tell Serena, with everything else that is going on, she wouldn't be able to handle it."

Hell, Darien couldn't handle it. What _had_ happened? He couldn't really explain it to himself. He couldn't explain the fact that his heart had started racing when he had pulled Raye against him. It must have been the beast, wanting something from her. Darien knew that the only two best ways to sate the beast was to have sex with someone or kill something. He did not prefer the latter, or the former either, for that matter, unless that someone was Serena.

On his first full moon, just before he changed, a couple girls had offered, in order to help him acclimate to his beast, but he found the thought too wild for his taste and turned them down. He didn't like the thought of killing and then eating what he had killed, and knew that rarely some omegas got loose and killed humans, but it was better than having sex with someone he didn't know.

He shook his head. It was getting too close to the full moon to be thinking about anything, or even getting angry. He knew that anger fed the beast, especially near the full moon, and at some point he could be brushed aside by the beast if he let his emotions take control of him. He wouldn't change into a werewolf, but the beast would have complete control over his body, and he didn't want to think about who could be hurt if that happened.

He dropped into a chair in his bedroom, not remembering the walk up there, and turned on the TV hoping for some distraction. Instead, what he saw made him pause. Cops had surrounded a gun store a block away from the Limbo. From what he could see of the dance hall, it was closed.

He couldn't remember a time he had ever seen it closed that early in the night. He knew, from what Molly had told him that the dance hall opened around three p.m. and stayed open till around 4 in the morning. Glancing at his alarm clock, he noticed it was only ten.

He knew what that meant. The Ancients representatives where there, and Serena had gone to face them… Alone.

"Dammit!" He shouted, jumping to his feet. He grabbed his keys and ran back down to the main hall.

"Guys, we have more problems!" He shouted, "We got to go, NOW!"

* * *

_AN: Thanks to LadyAkina, Cosmoscrystal96, ffgirlmoonie, rosebudjamie, and Chrissienuil for your reviews. You guys make me think and keep me going, so please keep up the reviews. LOL_

_LadyAkina: Another series you might be interested in is the Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series. Its really worth reading. I personally love the series, and actually have most of the books. As for how I came up with Serena becoming a necromancer... there are actually two reasons. One is because of Katsu's Acherontia Atropos series. I dont know if you watch or have watched Gundam Wing, but she had Duo become a necro, and I thought the idea was good, but I didnt know much about necros until I read Laurell's books. So thats where I got the ideas for Necromancers. Though I think Im gonna do something really fun with that particular power and seriously complicate it in Book 4. _

_Cosmoscrystal96: Giggles. I honestly never really liked Raye, I know she has a good heart, and sometimes comes up with a really good perseptive moment, but in all honesty, I thought she wanted to be leader, just how she acted towards Sere and the others. But also I felt kinda bad for Raye in the TV series, she started dating Darien first, when she believed that Sere hated him, then in a very awesome move, stepped aside when she saw who Darien and Sere really were. I thought that that was her crowning moment, and while I love the Sere Darien relationship, I also like the way that Raye is making it harder for Sere to 'hook up' with Darien, that is if Sere really wanted to, in my stories. I remark here that I have no clue what happens in my stories, only seeing whats happening as a write, and while that makes it really confusing in some situations, its working really well for these stories. _

_FFgirlmoonie: Smiles. I come up with the titles before the stories, and it surprised me how well this particular story matched the title. So I totally agree with your assessment._

_Rosebudjamie: Hmmm twisting plots. Sere could 'hook up' with Darien, or Nikolai, and Darien could 'hook up' with Raye or Sere. Trust me, I'm just as confused as you are with the twist of events. I SO did not plan that particular interaction between Darien and Raye. I think I was asleep when I wrote that, either that or my cats did it -frowns thoughtfully-. Nope, my cats, though extremely interested in the keyboard of my computer and confused with how much time I spent typing away at it, dont really understand it. Especially given the fact that they usually type these really odd words like "1oflnt6pntyr" which is one of their favorite words. _

_Chrissienuil: Oh! What a thought!!! Serena finding out about Darien... I actually hadnt considered that. Like I told Rosebudjamie, I didnt plan on that particular plot twist, but thats a good idea... now lets see, how do we make Serena find out about it, and what would her reaction be? -Starts thinking-_


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Choices

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena felt her skin grow cold. "How would you know?" She asked, trying to bluff. For once she found herself wondering if she would get out of this fiasco alive. She glanced at Nikolai. Had he told them? She wondered. 

He leveled his red gaze on her and frowned. From the look on his face, he was as surprised as she was about the information.

"We can tell." The older man stated.

"You'd think he was Dracula or something." A new voice said from the door of the office. Serena whirled to face the newcomer, then realizing that she left her back open, she quickly moved so that her back was to the wall next to Nikolai. At the moment, she felt that he was safer than other three people in the office with her.

The new person leaned lazily against the doorframe. He was young, just a few years older than herself with long brown hair tied into a ponytail. His eyes were a solid chocolate brown with laugh lines at the edges of them. He wasn't especially the most handsome of men, with a prominent hawk nose, bushy eyebrows, sharply high cheekbones, and angular jaw, but something about him drew attention. He was a little taller than herself, maybe two or three inches taller, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and thick arms and legs. He looked like a barbarian from the movies, except for his clothing, which were fashionable. He wore holey jeans, faded and frayed in some places, and a T-shirt with two hawks soaring over a mountain sunrise.

Serena, almost forgetting about the crossbow, whipped it from her shoulder and held it out in front of her, unsure who the greater danger was, the old-man vampire, or the human in the doorway. She felt pretty sure that the little girl, though powerful, didn't seem to really be interested in what was happening, at least that was until the young man appeared.

He glanced at Serena with mild interest before turning to the older man behind the desk. "I think you need to back off of the lady, Keagan."

"I don't think you have any room to talk, Guy." Serena frowned unsure whether the older man was calling the brown-haired man a guy or if Guy was the brown-haired man's name. After a moment, she decided the latter. Her arms were starting to strain slightly under the weight of the crossbow, which wasn't light like they made it look in the movies.

"I wouldn't push it, Keagan. You are already treading a thin line. Good thing that I decided to follow you." Guy stated, with a glare at the older man. "You are breaking the rules."

"She isn't his servant!" Keagan snarled.

"Whether or not that is true, you broke the rules. You have to face the Ancients." Guy stated mildly, turning his eyes to Nikolai. "And you have lied to the Ancients."

"What does that mean?" Serena asked, unable to stop herself.

"Lying to the Ancients is an immediate death sentence." Guy said, glancing at the back of his hand as if it was more interesting than the conversation. He shoved himself off of the door jam and kind of sauntered up to Serena, as if he owned the world, all the while looking at her as if he was sizing her up. "So, you are the one that killed Korin."

Serena thought quickly, finally remembering the vampire that had so nearly killed her when she first returned to New Tokyo. "Yeah, so what?"

"He was one of my Master's own children. You are well in over your head, Princess." Guy said, his eyes dancing with laughter. He reached a hand out to touch her face. Serena pulled back, the crossbow leveling at Guy's broad chest. He didn't seem to be the least perturbed by her weapon and still ended up touching her cheek, no hesitation from his end. "Or may I call you Serena?" He asked, his voice taking on the context of a soft purr. Serena couldn't help but stare.

He was human. There was no trace of any kind of energy that came along with being a vampire or werewolf. But what was a human doing hanging around with the monsters? "Who are you?" Serena couldn't help but ask, her voice coming out in a frightened whisper.

"My name is Guy Drake." He said, pulling his hand away from her, his eyes still twinkling with silent amusement. He stepped back, glancing at Keagan. "I think that they need to recoup their losses." He turned back to Serena. "You may take four people with you, only four, there is no negotiating that. Then you will have to return tomorrow night and we will test you. No weapons, just yourself and whoever you chose to come with you. If you fail the test, we will kill you." He stated. "Choose wisely who you want with you at this time."

Serena bit the question she had been thinking and quickly said, "Molly… and Nikolai."

"Just the two?" Guy asked.

"Also Trent and Cat." Nikolai said from behind Serena. Serena looked at Nikolai.

"Cat's here?" Nikolai nodded. "Where is Lita?"

"I don't know."

"Nikolai cannot make the choice, only you." Guy said, moving to sit on the edge of the desk.

"You cannot just let them go, Guy." Keagan growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"You shouldn't have broken the rules. Now we play this my way."

"You have no jurisdiction here."

"Do not push me, Keagan. You will regret it." Guy said, his voice going deeper with each word.

"Nikolai, Molly, Trent and Cat." Serena said quickly. She personally didn't want to see the one person who was helping her get killed and hoped that she would provide a distraction, even if it was for a moment.

Guy reached behind himself then chucked a silver key at her. Serena caught it more by reflex than anything else. She quickly tangled with the cuffs holding Nikolai, and he fell forward onto the floor.

"Go get the others, Mariette." Guy told the little girl, who Serena had forgotten about. The girl nodded and left the room.

"How are you involved with vampires?" Serena asked, finally posing the question she had been wondering about as she helped Nikolai get to his feet.

"Don't." Nikolai warned.

"A story for a later date." Guy stated, looking mildly surprised.

At that moment, Cat, a man Serena didn't recognize, and Molly walked into the room, followed closely by Alianna who didn't look very happy. Serena stared at them in shock.

Cat, usually looking skeptical and introverted, looked as if she were about to break. The energy coming off of her seemed to be coming in gasps, weak and wispy. Her long black hair hung in damp wisps around her face. Her clothing was shredded, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her skin was marked with tiny cuts, letting the blood flow over her skin, giving it a devilish red hue.

The man Serena didn't recognize, but knew was Trent, looked to be in about the same way as Cat, if not worse, but his wounds were beginning to heal. His eyes had a droopy tired look to them, but on closer inspection, Serena noticed that he would have made a great bodyguard, he was trying to look tired, but the glint of pure malice lit his eyes in a way that a tired person's wouldn't. Serena looked him over a little more closely, trying to figure out why Nikolai wanted him out. The man was tall, way taller than anyone in the room, probably could have been a basketball player if he had been born in the last forty years. She guessed his age to be closer to one hundred. His hair was platinum blond and fell to his waist. Hazel eyes peered out from beneath almost invisible eyebrows. He didn't look like much from Serena's point of view. He certainly didn't seem to be anything more than basketball material.

Mentally shaking her head, she turned her attention to Molly. Molly looked the worst off. Her green eyes were strangely glazed, claw marks had ripped the skin across her face, her clothing had also been torn, but she was using her hands to cover what she could. Through the gaps in her jeans, Serena could see blood flowing freely down the insides of her legs.

Alianna pouted, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at Keagan. "You said I could have them." She whined.

"People aren't possessions." Serena snapped, her anger flaring at the piteous looks of her friends.

Nikolai put a hand on her arm. "Not now, Princess. Wait till tomorrow."

"No, she needs to pay!" Serena shouted, letting her anger swim over her, not really caring if she controlled it or not.

"Leave, Alianna, I will deal with you later." Guy stated, his eyes on the charismatic woman. She glared at him then turned and stalked from the room. Guy turned his attention back to the wretched group. "Leave now, or we can kill all of you."

Serena stared at him. How could a human…? She shook her head, putting the crossbow back over her shoulder before she shoved Nikolai at Trent and Cat, who had started to look better after she spotted Serena. Then Serena grabbed Molly, who cried out in fear, and without a backwards glace, she led the motley crew out of the Limbo and into the street.

Lights flashed down the street where Serena had broken into the gun shop to get some guns, which she realized two of which were still inside the dance hall. She knew that the lights meant cops, and unless she got the group off the road and somewhere safe, the cops would spot them. But her car was too small to hold all of them, especially in such bad shape as they were.

As she was trying to decide what to do, a small Toyota truck pulled up to the curb, Andrew peering out of the driver's side window. A red jeep pulled up behind it, Raye, Mina, and Amy inside. Serena silently thanked whatever god had heard her; as she shoved Cat and molly into Raye's jeep with the other girls, forced Nikolai in the cab with Andrew and Darien, and beckoned Trent into the bed of the truck, figuring to pick up her jeep later. They quickly pulled from the parking lot, and whatever god that had been listening to Serena, decided to make the cops completely ignore the ragtag convoy of two jeeps and a Toyota pull from the parking lot and drive away as quickly as was possible.

Andrew slid the window that divided the cab of his truck from the bed and asked, "Where to?"

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I don't know."

* * *

_AN: Dang! I forgot to add a small teaser at the bottom of the last chapter after answering the reviews. So now all of you get a bonus chapter, you lucky peoples. _

_A Teaser about Book 4, Dangerous Distractions. _

_Does anyone remember in the Renee saga, when she first goes back to the past to meet her teenage mother, Serena? Good, think on that for a while! -Giggles-_

_Oh, alright. Someone from Renee's present will make a really big appearance in Book 4. Thats all I'm telling you!!!! -Hopes no one gets too mad at the glib comments or the teaser... especially since that is what a teaser is... a teaser.-  
_


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Mr. Thomas

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Darien stayed quiet while they drove around, trying to figure out where they were going to go. Serena looked like she was starting to get a headache, she was rubbing her temples almost constantly as she tried to think. He felt terrible about being too late to help her, she hadn't told anyone what had happened yet, and he was curious about it. Nikolai, Molly, Cat, and Trent looked like they had been through the fires of Hell. While Serena looked untouched, she also looked like she had seen more than a fair share of her own Hell. 

Darien started to turn to face forward when he caught Nikolai's reddish gaze staring at him. "What?" He asked gruffly. Nikolai shook his head, a smile lighting his mouth, before turning his attention back to the road. Darien knew that vampires could sense as much, if not more than wolves, and had an uncomfortable feeling that Nikolai knew what had happened between him and Raye earlier in the kitchen.

Darien felt panic rise in his throat. Nikolai wouldn't hesitate to tell Serena, just to cause the rift between Darien and her to grow wider. What would she do, he wondered. He couldn't let Nikolai attack her that way. He had to get Nikolai on his own, talk to him, but how?

Darien was still thinking when Serena finally put her head in the window. "We have to go to the palace, there is nowhere else to stow them." She glanced at Nikolai. "I don't know how invitations into a home work, but you are not allowed in my room." She added.

Nikolai looked at Darien for a moment, making Darien's heart speed up. He was going to tell her, Darien thought wildly. "I would never think of it, Princess." Nikolai finally stated, turning his attention back to the road. Darien sighed loudly, causing Serena to look at him. He felt himself tense up again.

"I know, Darien, but I need to find out what we're dealing with, and right now, Nikolai is the only person than can tell me." Serena had misunderstood the sigh. Darien quietly thanked God and nodded. Andrew was glancing at him as he drove. Maybe Serena had misunderstood, but Darien was betting that Andrew didn't. He must have figured out the same thing that Darien had. Nikolai knew. Of that, there was no doubt.

* * *

Shortly after they pulled into the palace drive, Darien managed to get Nikolai away from the others, with the excuse of getting him some clothing, since his shirt was shredded, and his pants were brittle with dried blood. As Darien led the way up the stairs, he glanced behind him to see Nikolai's reddish eyes staring at him. 

"I know you know." Darien said quietly.

"Know what?" Nikolai asked, feigning curiosity. Darien frowned, turning down the corridor that led to his room.

"Don't play games. Your senses are as heightened as mine."

"I don't play games. It is not my business." Nikolai stated with a shrug.

"You won't tell Serena?" Darien asked surprised. They both had stopped outside of Darien's room. Nikolai stared at him thoughtfully for a few minutes. Darien wasn't sure what to say or do, so he just stared back. He was still uncomfortable with the fact that Nikolai looked so much like him, minus the length of hair and the red in the eyes. Nikolai could have passed as Darien's twin. His pitch-black hair was longer, and usually loose, framing his pale angular face. His bone structure was the same as Darien's, from broad shoulders and slightly muscular arms to thin waist and long athletic legs.

"No." Nikolai stated, bringing Darien from his thoughts. For a moment, Darien was confused, and then going back on what they had been talking about he realized that Nikolai wasn't going to tell Serena.

Relief flooded him as he opened the door to his room.

"At least, not yet." Nikolai stated as he passed Darien.

* * *

Serena had a feeling that something was going on. Everyone was treating her as if she were made of glass; carefully offering to help her patch up Molly, get her something to drink, maybe make a sandwich. She knew something was wrong, but no one was telling her what it was. Mina, Lita, and Amy were acting so strangely that Serena found herself staring at each in turn, trying to figure things out. She had also noticed that Andrew wasn't talking to Darien, which was a big surprise. She wondered briefly if they had an argument about werewolf hierarchy. 

Mina, Lita, Amy and Andrew avoided looking at or going near Darien, as well. She wondered what had happened while she was gone, but at the moment, she had her hands full taking care of a vampire and a woman who didn't want to be taken care of.

"I said I would take care of it. I have to go." Cat stated, looking mutinous, from her position on the couch as Serena tried to apply iodine to a nasty cut on her arm. She cringed away from the cotton swab as if it were a snake. "I can take care of myself."

"Stop moving around." Serena stated patiently. She was getting tired of Cat's complaints. Molly hadn't been that hard to take care of, patiently sitting there while Serena cleaned the cuts. But Cat on the other hand was wriggling around like a two year old; nothing like the person Serena had met almost a month ago. Mina and Amy finally grabbed Cat by the shoulders, leaving their post beside Molly to help Serena.

Serena quickly cleaned the cut, as Cat yowled like a cat. To Serena's surprise the liquid steamed when it contacted Cat's skin. Her skin turned red then dark blue, as if she had received a bruise. Serena moved away, staring at Cat.

"What are you?" She asked.

"Nothing." She said, "at least nothing to be concerned about. Now, I need to go get your friend, so let me go."

"Why don't you just call her?" Amy asked, letting Cat go.

"No phones." Cat explained.

"Serena." Luna called from the hall. She and Artemis had been watching Nikolai for Serena.

"Hold on." Serena called back. "Ok, go get Lita." She told Cat, who quickly got up and left the room. Serena stood and followed Cat out of the room, but paused when she saw Cat standing at the door staring at a man who had his hand poised to knock. Luna leapt onto Serena's shoulder.

"That was what I was going to tell you," she whispered, "I heard him coming." Serena nodded.

"Can I help you?" She glanced back into the sitting room at the clock, noting that it was almost midnight. She turned her attention back to the man as he shimmied past Cat into the hall.

Cat glanced at Serena with a meaningful look. _I don't like it_, Cat's thought erupted in Serena's mind like it had once before. Serena started in surprise, other than the one time Cat had managed to break into Serena's mind, she hadn't done it since, and even through Serena had tried to contact her, via her own mind, there had been no response.

_How do you do that?_ Serena asked, forcing her mind to form the words instead of saying them. Cat smiled.

_Another time, maybe._ Cat thought as she left the palace. _Be careful._

The man stared after Cat with interest, his light gray eyes showing his curiosity. He was an older man. Serena guessed him to be in his late thirties, early forties. He was shorter than herself and slightly rounded. Light brown hair had receded leaving a widow's peak on his forehead, and making his forehead look larger than it was.

"I came to speak with Princess Tsukino." The man stated. "My name is Jake Thomas."

* * *

_AN: I am losing Internet for a while, but will post more as soon as possible... I hope you will keep reading my stories, and keep posting reviews. Thank all of you for your input and thoughts. Dont stop, I hope to have internet back at the beginning of the new year, so see you all then!!!!!_


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Werewolf

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Darien was coming down the stairs closely followed by Nikolai, when he saw the man standing in the entry hall talking to Serena. Serena looked uncomfortable and Darien could understand why. The man put off bad vibes like nobody's business. He was fidgety, holding his hat in his hands, one finger twitching over the hat's rim, and his eyes darted around the hall as if he was looking for something. 

Darien glanced over his shoulder at Nikolai to see Nikolai's reddish gaze fixed on the same man that set Darien on edge.

"I'm sorry, sir. But it is awfully late, and Princess Serena is asleep, so is Prince Darien." Serena said, surprising Darien. He froze on the stairwell, and then slowly began to move backwards as she spoke. "Besides the fact that this is a very bad time to call on any officials in the Palace, what with Christmas coming. Maybe you should call back after the New Year."

"But it is imperative that I talk to the Princess." The man stated coldly.

"I am sorry, sir." Serena said getting into the role of a servant. "But the Lady isn't to be disturbed." Darien and Nikolai were almost to the top of the stairs.

"I must speak with her. She is in danger." The man repeated. Serena paused. Darien knew that she was tempted to hear him out, but to do so would mean admitting that she was the Princess of New Tokyo.

"I am sorry, sir. That particular ploy has been used to see her before. I must ask you to leave." Serena responded, obviously against her will.

"I will not leave until I speak with her." The man snarled, his voice drenched with annoyance.

"Please leave." Serena replied, walking around him to open the doors.

"Wake your master up." The man finally ordered Serena.

The man had no right to order Serena around in any way, shape or form. Darien started forward, to order the man out of the palace himself, but was stopped when Nikolai put his hand on Darien's shoulder.

"Don't." Nikolai hissed. "He can sense what you are if he touches you."

"What is he? How do you know?" Darien asked in a whisper, as Serena again asked the man to leave.

"I am unsure." Nikolai said with a frown, completely ignoring Darien's second question. "But he's looking for a werewolf, not a human, nor a necromancer." Nikolai paused thoughtfully. "Is there a way to call one of the girls from up here?" He looked at Darien.

Darien thought for a moment. "Yeah."

"Sir!" The man shouted. He had obviously spotted the two of them standing at the top of the stairs. Darien looked down to see Serena go pale. She forcefully grabbed the man's arm and tried to pull him through the door.

Then the man made his first mistake. He turned to face Serena and slapped her. Darien lunged, but was quickly caught by Nikolai, who shoved him back. "He might mistake me for you." He stated, walking down the stairs.

Serena clutched her face, and Darien could see tears flowing down her cheeks. Her anger snapped around the room like fire, making his beast awaken and stretch. It latched onto her anger and roared with an answering anger, as it began to writhe, coursing through Darien like molten lava. He was losing control. He collapsed to his knees as pain rippled through his body, tearing at his skin, muscles and bones. He could feel his bone structure changing, narrowing and elongating in some places while in others they became broader and shorter.

He knew what was happening. But it wasn't possible. Only alphas were capable of transforming before the full moon. He had transformed only once before and was unable to remember anything that happened during that time. He was still an Omega. They couldn't transfer any time the moon wasn't full.

But whether or not it was possible, he was changing into a werewolf.

* * *

_An: A favorite saying of mine... "I'm baaaaaaaaack!" Thanks to all my readers keep up the comments and questions.  
_


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Loose

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena felt a swell of energy, wrapping around the entry hall, encompassing all of the other senses she was picking up from the older man. She had spotted Nikolai about halfway down the stairs, and Darien at the top when the man had shouted. Nikolai whirled to face the top of the stairs, where Darien hunkered down, wave after wave rippling over his body, almost like you would expect from a pond if a pebble was thrown into it. 

A loud crash made her glance at the entrance to the sitting room, where the others had appeared. Andrew's eyes immediately fell on Darien. Serena watched as they widened in disbelief, and a small amount of fear reflected through them. It dawned on Serena as she saw Andrew's face, but it wasn't possible. Darien couldn't turn into a werewolf. He wasn't strong enough. The change would kill him.

Serena forcibly turned her attention back to Darien, who, she saw in amazement, was transforming. She forgot about the man who had so rudely burst into the palace. She forgot Nikolai was standing halfway up the stairs. She forgot about Andrew and his fear, which was spreading around the room like wildfire. Her entire concentration was on Darien.

_He cant be changing_, she thought numbly,_ it's impossible._

The energy suddenly dampened, but not enough, the transformation was almost complete. Darien was covered in coarse black fur; his nose had extended farther out from his face than it should have, finally turning into a muzzle. His ears rolled up the sides of his head, forming the triangle of dogs' ears. Serena whimpered suddenly realizing that they were all in extreme danger. But it was as if she couldn't force her voice to work enough to warn the others. The transformation was amazing, yet, sickening. All eyes were fastened on the top of the stairs, and Serena knew that even if she had been able to warn the others, they might not have heard her anyway.

Serena felt more than saw the man next to her pull a rifle from behind him. He took aim, sighting down the long barrel. Without thinking, Serena grabbed a vase that had been artfully stationed in the corner between the wall and door, and smashed it over the man's head, watching as it shattered into large and small pieces on the floor. The man crumpled, landing on some of the porcelain.

Serena could only hope that Jake Thomas hadn't realized whom it was that had been transforming. She turned her attention back to the stairs as Darien/wolf stood on his hind legs. He was completely covered in the black fur now. His legs were bent at an odd angle, almost backwards, but he managed to stay upright. His arms were longer, his fingernails turned into long claws.

Serena looked around for Andrew and saw him standing at the foot of the stairs, his forehead was covered in sweat. She could feel energy seeping into him as if he were some kind of black hole. One word raced through her mind, _"Run!"_

She shouted at the girls to get back into the sitting room and lock the door, and was relieved when they did. But the shouting had been a mistake. Darien's attention riveted to her. Nikolai and Andrew had both turned toward her, and didn't see Darien's sharp movement as he leapt straight for her. Serena dropped to the ground and rolled, letting her momentum carry her as far as it could, then pushed herself back to her feet. Darien stood still, standing almost exactly where she had been, staring at her.

Serena realized that he could have easily pounced on her when she was still rolling, and the thought made her heart throb in her ears. She froze hoping that like bears, Darien-wolf wouldn't attack her if she didn't move. Again she felt as if she was a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi, but she was too freaked out to move. She stared at the giant black wolf that had once been a man and thought that she was going to die, for the second time that night.

He lifted his muzzle into the air, and sniffed. Again his small black eyes locked on hers and he took a cautious step forward, acting as though he was more curious about her than hungry for her. Taking another step, he reached a clawed hand toward her, apparently wanting to touch her. She shrank away from his touch, without meaning to, and his clawed hand froze. She returned her gaze to his face, and saw something flicker in his eyes. They started to fade, as if the black was leaking out of them.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, and realizing that Nikolai was moving to stop Darien, she cried out, "stop!" Nikolai froze, looking questioningly at her. Darien had turned his head to see what Serena was shouting at, but apparently, he didn't feel Nikolai was a threat because he turned his attention back toward her. His eyes were becoming a lighter shade of blue than his natural eyes were. Intelligence gleamed out of them, and the spark that was always in Darien's human eyes filled the wolfish ones.

He just stared at her. Serena felt a slick of ice flow down her spine, causing her to shiver, but she braced herself and reached out to touch the wolf's hand, hoping that somehow, what was watching her _was_ Darien. It's head dropped so that it could see her hand.

"Darien?" Serena asked, her voice cracking with fear. Darien pulled his hand away from her. To her surprise, he turned and barreled through the main doors, knocking them completely off their hinges.

"Oh, Shit!" Andrew cried, running out the doors after him.

Nikolai moved to stand beside Serena. "We need to catch him before he hurts someone."

Serena felt her stomach flip over and thought she would be sick.

* * *

_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. I will not respond to flamers. All I ask, if you do have something to say against my writing, is that you word it politely._


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Caught

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Cat and Lita arrived shortly after Darien's escape, and quickly took the man from the entry hall. Cat told Serena that she was going to drench him in liquor and drop him behind a local bar, and then hope that the cops picked him up. Serena found that she didn't really care what they did. 

She was completely exhausted, but they had to find Darien before someone else did, or he killed someone. She grabbed Raye's jeep and took the tranquilizer guns that Lita had offered her. Nikolai rode shotgun, Mina and Amy rode in the back seat, while Raye stayed behind with Molly and Trent. Serena drove because she had a feeling that she might be able to pick up Darien's 'scent'.

They drove around New Tokyo for almost three hours, but didn't pick up anything, Darien or Andrew. Serena, finally too tired to do anything besides sleep, decided to return to the palace. She hoped that Andrew had found Darien and had taken him off to wherever the wolves hunted; otherwise the consequences would be worse than extreme. She and Nikolai woke the girls up and sent them to their rooms, after they had pulled into the Palace's garage.

"I hope Andrew finds him." Serena said with a yawn.

"He will." Nikolai replied, his voice neutral. "You should have let me stop him."

"He wasn't going to hurt me."

"He could have."

Serena stared at Nikolai. "I am not going to argue with you, Nikolai."

"I'm not arguing." Nikolai frowned at her. "I am stating the obvious."

"Look… I have a new idea for you to try. How about shut up?" She snapped.

Nikolai laughed. "Keagan was right about one thing about you. You are spirited."

"Ok, how about go away?" Serena said tiredly. "I'm going to bed. There should be a coffin in the basement, you can share with Molly and Trent, and there might be enough room. If not the pantry can stay pretty dark, just remember to leave a note on the door to remind people that you or whoever is in there." She paused. "And Molly defiantly gets a place in the box." She went up the stairs to her room and collapsed on her bed.

The moment her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

* * *

Darien couldn't explain it, but he was able to see. He didn't remember any part of that happening before. Everything looked, smelled and sounded different. So different, and so alien, that he couldn't explain it to anyone in human terms, even if he had tried. The world was a different place, in black and white. The sounds of car engines sounded like they were right next to him, but staring down into the street from the top of a roof… they couldn't have been. The smell was horrible; rubber, sulfur, sweat, car fumes, and various other odors invaded his nose. If he had been human, the smell would have caused him to vomit. But he knew, as a human, he wouldn't have scented what he did at the moment. 

When he had first transformed and looked at Serena, something had happened. At first it had seemed like he lost consciousness, but then on seeing her, he felt the world snap into focus. It felt like he had just woken up. He wanted to touch her, but he knew he couldn't, to do so would have turned her into a wolf like him. The thought had tempted him to the point of reaching for her. But when she had said his name, he remembered that he couldn't. To resist that temptation again, he had run.

The world was a curious place to a wolf; curiosity was warring with the survival instinct and hunger. He didn't like the city, but it was strange, and interesting. He found himself wanting to see it all, but the knowledge that he couldn't be seen managed to keep him to the tops of various buildings around the city, as he leapt from one to another, trying to see what could be seen.

But he was getting tired of the city, he wanted the forest with deer, and other animals that he could chase and eat. He wanted to taste the warm blood in his mouth, feel the beating heart of the animal as it died. But he also didn't want to hurt anything. The thoughts were confusing and distracting.

He scented the forest; the smell came from the north. He angled himself to leap onto a building north of himself when he heard the unmistakable sound of someone approaching. Turning, he found himself staring at Andrew, who looked tired.

"Darien, can you hear me?" Andrew asked, his voice soft. Darien was reminded of a lullaby, and felt the pull of the Alpha in Andrew. He nodded, his head jerking awkwardly. Darien tried to say yes but it came out as a low growl.

"I need you to come with me. I can get you to the forest, but we have to go in a truck, ok?" Andrew asked. Darien would have frowned if he could. He scented the forest, and he didn't need a truck to get to it. He tried to tell Andrew, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a series of growls, yips, barks and whines.

Andrew shook his head. "I can't understand you, Darien. Come on, we will go to the forest where your kin wait. Come with me." Andrew started backing up, motioning for Darien to follow. Darien didn't want to go. He turned away from Andrew, readying himself for the leap across the street. "Darien!" Andrew snapped. "Ru-." An explosion sounded off, and as Darien turned to face Andrew, he saw Andrew fall, blood blossoming on his chest.

Darien turned looking for what had caused the injury to Andrew, he supposed that it was a gun, but before he could locate it, he heard another explosion. Something stung his left arm. Pain spread like fire down to his fingertips. He howled in pain and bolted, leaping easily to the northern roof. He could outrun the pain, but when he went to use the arm he stumbled, rolling onto his side.

The world seemed to be melting, shifting around him and making him dizzy. He tried to stand up, again, but fell over, unable to gain his balance. Darkness rolled in on the edges of his vision as he lay on his side, his energy gone.

The last thing he saw was a man standing over him with a toothy grin.

* * *

_An: Thanks to all my readers(TotalEclipseoftheHeart2114, vinh, rosebudjamie, ffgirlmoonie, Chrissienuil, lunaeve, cosmoscrystal96, and Lexi02, and I am sure that I'm missing some names, for those I didnt mention, I apologize). You guys made me get the internet back asap when we were thinking it would take a tiny bit longer. No worries though everything is cool. But now I have a sorta job, so it might be even longer between updates... Sorry peops. If you want, so you dont have to keep checking in, you can add this story to your favorites and it will alert you whenever I make an update._

_TotalEclipseoftheHeart2114: grins sorry about the cliffhangers, but they DO make you want to read more dont they??? winks_

_Lunaeve: winks yeah I thought that that would give a small twist to things... _

_ Cosmoscrystal96: Nope, the next in the series is Dangerous Distractions. So this is definately not the last in the series. I have several more ideas that I dont want to put in just one book, so there will be at least two more stories after DD__(Dangerous Distractions)__. But because I am trying to edit Silent Judgment, Cruel Visions, and Testing the Flame, it might be a while before I post DD. I only have one chapter done on DD, and there were some things from the first three books that I wanted to tie into DD. So yeah, it might take a while... I also wanted to bring some other stuff I have been thinking of out into the open with DD... that book should be the most entertaining yet..._

_Lexi02: I feel that a character in a book should be something that other people can either relate to, or actually see in their imaginations. So by making them seem to have the same problems we have in real life makes it more interesting, at least I think so. I am very glad you like the interplay between my characters... And, as I tell all my readers, I cant tell you who gets who in the end. There is a Dar/Sere, Dar/Raye, Sere/Nik, thing going on... Talk about triangles lol._

_ Anyway, keep on reading at my stuff and keep the suggestions coming. Also feel free to ask any questions, I will respond if I can... Smiles WAVES!  
_


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Into the Lion's Den

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

_Serena stood in front of an old weather-beaten gravestone. Pain brought her attention to her left wrist, where blood was flowing from a diagonal cut, dripping onto the ground next to her. She felt a shock of energy as it suddenly wrapped around her and the grave. To her it felt like an almost solid wall, barricading her from the rest of the graveyard. She knew that her first reaction should have been to try to escape, but for some reason she felt comfortable, safe. _

_Then, as if she had memorized the words, she spoke. "Come to me, I call you. By my blood you are mine." Her voice seemed to echo into the darkness that surrounded her, and she shivered. Pressure began to build in her chest, a new type of energy, growing until it filled every part of her. Again, without knowing how she knew or why she knew, she placed her now bloody palm on the dry earth at her feet. The energy building inside of her must have realized the out, and flowed through her arm, palm and fingers, finally seeping into the ground._

_It was as if she had been blind all of her life and suddenly could see, but only…without her eyes. A whole new world opened up to her and she could see and feel everything in it. She knew each blade of grass like it was an extension of herself. If she had truly wanted to, she could have recited how many graves were in the cemetery, marked or not, and even known or not. She knew the bones of people not yet dead a year, as well as the dust of those who had been dead for centuries. Each of the dead had their own trademark energies, some of the bodies with an energy that balked at the touch of her own; others were just barren embers of what was._

"_Rise and come to me." She said as she chose a pile of what could have only been considered dust, and melded her own energy with the only energy left from whatever it had been. She felt the dust compile into what could have been a skeleton, grow tendons where there were supposed to be tendons, and slowly eventually it became more human. "You are now part of me, as I am part of you. You are mine. Come to me, I call you."_

_The backlash of energy sent her sprawling into the headstone behind her. The world dimmed momentarily but as it came to focus, she heard a telltale sound that launched her to her feet. Something was there with her, and making very slow progress toward her. She felt its fingernails claw at the dirt above it, as if they were her own fingers trying to seek an escape from the dungeon that had held her so long. Another sound echoed around her, and she realized that what she had chosen to awaken wasn't the only thing that responded to her call. _

"_Seeeereeeeena!" A raspy voice called. _

_Serena stared wildly around, looking for what had called her. She could feel several energies breaking through the crust of the earth, touching the night air for the first time in years, if not centuries. All of them had heard her call. She began to back away, wondering what she had just done, when something grabbed her foot._

Serena sat up shrieking, the feeling of something grabbing her ankle still fresh in her mind. After a few seconds, she realized that she had been dreaming, the same stupid dream that she had started having before she pulled Lily from the dead.

That thought caused Serena to stand and search her room to make sure that no zombies were hidden anywhere inside of it. After her search, she decided to take a shower. When she got out, there was a knock on her door.

"Yes?"

"I heard you scream." The voice was Nikolai's. Serena frowned.

"You are up already?" Glancing at a clock she felt the world slide. It was eight p.m., she had heard nothing about Darien, and they had to go play footsies with the vampires that were trying to kill her.

"Yes. We need to talk."

"Well, we can talk outside of my room, I am sorry but I don't want you sneaking in here." Serena snapped. Quickly tying up her hair into a ponytail, since she didn't think she would have time to work her hair into its usual pigtails. She rummaged through her clothes and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, her shoulder holster and gun, and some sneakers before she stepped into the hall. She closed the door behind her before Nikolai had a chance to see inside. "Ok, what?"

"I thought you wanted to learn about the Ancients before we went to see what they have in store for us."

"You promised to tell me about them a long time ago, Nikolai. Let's go to Darien's room before someone overhears us." She added, wondering if anyone else was up. She led the way quickly to Darien's room, then closed and locked the door once they were inside.

She motioned for Nikolai to sit down while she chose Darien's favorite recliner. "So what are we dealing with?" She asked, watching him speculatively.

"The Ancients are old, older than you think." Nikolai said, he locked his eyes with hers. "Most have been alive before your Jesus even a thought in your God's mind. Others only came from the crusades or other physical catastrophes in ancient histories. The first ones, didn't want to make more of their kind, at first, knowing that what had happened to them, to make them so different was in no way a blessing. But after centuries of being alone, they sought out others to make pacts with.

"They sought out and chose three of the most promising of humanity, a long ago king of an empire, a peasant from another land, and a tribesman from an even lesser known province. So there were seven. But the three felt that the 'gift' they were given was to be shared, they disregarded what their masters had told them, and slaughtered thousands, friends, family, husbands, wives, children…

"The Masters, more than ever, realized that their kiss was not to be shared with others. They killed all of their children in a single night." Nikolai paused, his eyes were turning a brighter red, but Serena didn't think that what was happening to his eyes had anything to do with anger or sadness.

"Stop." Serena stated, frowning.

"You have to know this." Nikolai said.

"Not what you are telling me, quit with the eyes thing."

He shrugged, but continued with the story, his eyes dimming. "Thousands of their children were killed in that one night."

Serena shook her head, interrupting. "How can four vampires kill thousands of vampires?" She asked, feeling that Nikolai was exaggerating.

"The Ancients are the most powerful of our kind, the oldest, and the wisest. They have powers that most strigoi would never dream to have." The way he said it made Serena shiver.

"So they have dark talents… like what?"

"The Queen of Beasts can call any animal on the planet." Nikolai said.

"Ok, so she can call cats and dogs to her, so can I."

"No, you do not understand. She can call any animal. Birds, fish, large cats, wild dogs, domesticated animals, were-animals, or any other animal on the face of this planet. Even humans." Nikolai stated. Serena felt the heat drain from her face.

"Humans?" She asked almost in a whisper.

"She calls them by giving them, as you call it, gut feelings." Serena shook her head. Humans weren't animals, they may have been at one time, but they weren't now. They were completely sentient beings.

"Ok, so you have four extremely powerful Ancients… I'm guessing that they ended up going out to look for more children." Nikolai nodded.

"They did. Finally forming the Ancients. Thirteen ancient bloodlines. From them come the breeds of strigoi. Those breeds have different talents, such as flying, wrapping shadows around themselves to appear invisible, and call specific creatures."

"No, offense," Serena interrupted, "but this is just the story of your beginnings, I need information on how to deal with the Ancients, not understand their background."

Nikolai's eyes flashed dangerously. Serena wondered for a moment whether she could draw on him before he killed her. "There are three ancients here. The Queen of Beasts, the Lord of Shadows, and the Mind."

"So now they have superhero names?" Serena asked sarcastically.

Nikolai was out of his chair, and had pulled her out of her own chair before she had even noticed. She gasped, trying to stop from screaming. "You do not understand. We are in serious danger, especially you now that they know that you are not my servant."

Serena tried to pull out of his grip, but his hold tightened. "I wont be anyone's slave. I thought they were going to send representatives not the real deal." Serena stated, her voice heightened with fear. He finally released her and she fell back into her chair.

"You are frightened of me, correct?" Serena nodded. "You think I am strong and fast." He said backing away from her. "What we face is stronger and faster than myself."

Serena tried to calm her heartbeat. "So what is going to happen tonight?"

"They will test us."

Serena had a feeling that that was probably the worst thing he could have said.

She had a habit of flunking any test that was laid in front of her, especially if her junior high school could be counted in that particular estimation.

* * *

Serena stood stiffly to one side of the vampires, her heart hammering in her ears as she stared at the Limbo's neon sign. She wasn't sure what to expect the moment they walked into the building, but she didn't think it would be fun. She couldn't help thinking that she would have to do a spelling test, and hoping that that would be the worst of the tests. 

Nikolai spoke softly to Molly and Trent, looking angry. Serena knew he was trying to come up with a backup plan, hers would have been to get all the weapons she could find, and go in with an army, but somehow calling the Tokyo militia, and hoping that they actually believed her story, seemed a bit far-fetched. Besides Guy had told her that if she brought weapons in, she would end up killing anyone else that might have been left in the building.

They all looked like they had just stepped out of some fashion model magazine. None of them looked like they had even been through hell the night before, well except for Molly, who looked terrified to have to go back into the building. Serena had suggested to Nikolai to leave her behind, but he had vetoed the idea, believing that the Ancients would have been 'upset' if they didn't bring her back with them. His word, not hers.

Trent just looked plain cocky. Serena knew she didn't like the guy when he had started playing with her hair while she was driving. On getting out, he had tried to grab her butt, which got him a gun pointed right at his pert little nose.

As Nikolai spoke, Trent glanced at her, as if her thoughts had attracted his attention. Winking and blowing a kiss at her, Serena realized that she would give dearly to kill him. Maybe if she pretended to come on to him, she could get close enough to blow away half of his brain. His expression faltered, and Serena realized she must have been staring at him. She smiled venomously. Let him think about what she was thinking about. Her smile broadened.

"Princess!" Nikolai stated, staring at her. "Don't tease."

Serena blinked and tried to look innocent. "I was just thinking how close I could get before I shot his brains all over the road." She said, her voice sounding cheerful. Trent blanched. She giggled.

"We are here to save your life, you might want to show a little respect." Nikolai stated, his voice hard. Serena frowned.

"Maybe your head would look prettier." Serena taunted.

She realized that she was terrified. Taunting them was getting her mind off the subject. She was used to not thinking, but acting. Waiting for her death was making her nervous and she didn't like the feeling. Even as Sailor Moon she hated the planning. Before any battle, she wanted to be somewhere else, during the battle she wanted it over with, after the battle she wanted ice cream, it had always been simple. Waiting for your death just wasn't very cool. She sighed. "Sorry."

Nikolai glared.

"You showed up. I'm surprised." A voice sounded right behind Serena's ear. She jumped a few feet and turned to stare at Guy.

"Ever hear of not sneaking up on people." Serena snapped suddenly angry. Guy grinned, not in any way put off by her. "I guess your mother never taught you manners." She knew the moment she said it that it had been a mistake. Guy's smirk vanished.

"I would watch what you say, Serena, you might not live to speak of it later." He told her, his voice low and angry. The hair on her arms and neck stood up, and she realized for the first time, that whoever Guy was, he was dangerous. She took a step backwards. "Come." He said, motioning her to follow him as he walked up the steps to the entrance of the dance hall.

She felt like she was walking into a lion's den.

* * *

_AN: Thanks to my readers! you guys keep me going. Sorry about the spotty updates! I'm trying to move to Montana USA!!!! BIG SKY COUNTRY HERE I COME! Anyway, I am hoping to go view some prospects in the summer, then hopefully most near sept or something. So everyone wish me luck. Oh man thats gonna be fun. _

_I also have a job (trying to save money and pay off debts before moving), so book 4 is on pause, and rewrites on 1-4 are also on hold. But I will try to keep updating when I have time. _

_Ok now on to my readers! Thanks to Rosebudjamie, ffgirlmoonie, TotalEclipseoftheHeart2114, Chrissenuil, Lexi02, and Indecisive Yohko! Keep on reading and sending comments, I really appreciate them!_

_Lexi02: Yeah I know what you mean, well now anyway, about jobs taking away lots of time. I am doing a lot of stuff, from research, to organizing, to creating programs, to writing reports, and well, a lot of things. Giggle. As for a male distraction, its useful, trust me, but when you are married, and working with the afore mentioned man, then its not so much a distraction unless you flat tell them "DAY OFF MAN!!!!" LOL just kidding. No my hubby and I have a close relationship, and because we are starting our own business we are working together a lot, and its really kinda fun. Now if I can get him to read my stories, then we will get some more work done!!!! Giggle._

_Chrissienuil: AHH! I wish I could say it doesnt end with them, but as usual the only thing I can say is I have no clue whats gonna happen!!! Pouting, I hope you dont hate me no matter the outcome!!!!_

_Idecisive Yohko: Smiles. Ok Im giving something up, Indy got me atalking. Andrew, (a char from sailor moon), Nikolai, and well there ARE some others, are my main/secondary characters. They all have parts to play in each book. And while they should be considered 2ndary chars because they arent mains, I consider them integral parts of the stories. So grin, yes, Nikolai has some more stuff to show off... the dirty dog... lol  
_


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Tests

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies.  
_

* * *

Darien rolled over and a sharp pain brought him from his sleep. For a second, he thought that he was back in the palace in bed, having lost control of his beast, but on opening his eyes he realized that that wasn't true. Seeing the darkened room in shades of gray and white, he knew that he was still in half-wolf form, and even worse, in a cage. Slowly, memories from the night before filled his fogged brain. He remembered seeing Andrew being shot and wondered for a moment if he was all right. 

A muffled groan to Darien's right, told Darien that Andrew was with him. The smell of blood filled the darkened room, and Darien found himself fighting his beast to keep control. Andrew sat up, immediately placing a hand over the hole in his shoulder, which was not healing normally. Darien knew that because of the werewolf blood, almost every wound received healed abnormally fast, except for cuts received from other werewolves or shots received by silver bullets. Guessing from the way that the bullet hole in Andrew's shoulder was still bleeding, someone had had silver bullets the night before.

Andrew glanced at Darien, his eyes widening slightly in fear. He seemed to realize that Darien had managed to keep control of the beast because the panic left Andrew's eyes after a few seconds. Darien would have shrugged if he had figured out how to do so in the strange body he was in. Instead, he turned his attention on the bars of the cage. Experimentally, Darien rammed his shoulder against the bars to see if they had any give, but they only groaned in protest. He growled, grabbing the bars with his clawed hands intent on bending the bars. Pain seared through his claws. He released the bars and stepped back.

The scent of blood teased him again. Andrew had removed his shirt, ripped off an edge of it, and tried to mop up the blood before he tossed it from the cage. Darien's eyes followed the shirt as it landed about ten feet from the bars. Motion brought Darien's attention to Andrew, as he tried to tie his shirt in a way that would stop the bleeding. He wanted to know what they were going to do, but he knew that Andrew couldn't understand him, and with his hunger growing stronger, he couldn't think very well either.

"Darien." Andrew stated, looking worried. "Darien, can you still hear me?"

Darien nodded his head and neck moving awkwardly.

"We are going to get out of this. I promise you."

"I wouldn't promise him anything, he's just an animal." A cruel voice said from the shadows behind Andrew. "And from what I would wager, a very hungry one."

* * *

Inside the dance hall, Serena looked around. All of the lights were off, except for those that hung above a long, rectangular, table. The table looked old, like one you would have seen in an older castle in Scotland. The top was scarred from the cut of endless knifes and other cutlery. It looked like it really needed to be refinished, even if it was antiquated. There were no dishes or silverware anywhere on the table. 

Around the table were several chairs, their backs were tall enough that they would have reached Serena's forehead if she stood directly behind them. The ones facing her were covered in crimson red velvet and padded. They looked to have been redone recently, even though the wood itself needed work. They were also scarred in various ways.

It was what was at the center of the table that had captivated Serena's attention. A young woman had been tied nude to the ceiling above the table and dangled, apparently unconscious over it. Serena flinched at the sight of blood seeping slowing down the woman's arms from her wrists. The rope had rubbed the woman's wrists raw. Serena took a step toward the woman, fully intending on letting her down, but Guy grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back.

"I wouldn't." He said staring at the woman with a mixture of disgust and interest. Serena shrugged him off, and pointedly walked up to the table.

"Miss?" Serena asked. The woman's eyes opened, but she didn't seem to focus on Serena. The calm expression on her face made Serena want to slap her. The woman giggled drunkenly as Serena turned to face Guy.

"Let her go." She snapped.

"I will." He said looking at interestedly at Serena.

Glancing around for backup, Serena become conscious of the fact that they were alone in the building. "Where are Nikolai and the others?"

"Outside." Guy responded almost lazily, moving to lean against one of the darkened walls so that he was half in shadow, and half out of shadow.

"I thought they were supposed to come in with us. Isn't this supposed to be some kind of test for Nikolai and myself?" She asked, starting to feel uncomfortable.

Guy shook his head. "They can wait outside until we are ready."

"Ready for what?" Serena demanded.

Guy laughed, pushing away from the wall and starting to approach her. "You have posed a very unique problem, Serena. One that we all wish to rectify."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, forcing herself to stay still.

Guy stopped just short of her. "You are no one's servant. And that is a very big problem. You see, if you don't become a servant to a strigoi, you are to be killed. You don't want to be killed do you?"

Serena finally stepped backwards, but stopped when she realized that the table was behind her. "No."

"Then we have to rectify the situation." Guy said.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, starting to feel like a broken record. She glanced at the door wishing that Nikolai, or someone, would come in.

"You have to become Keagan's servant." He said calmly.

"Oh, no. I don't think so." Serena stated. "I wont be anyone's slave."

Guy tilted his head to one side. "Not even Nikolai's?"

She shook her head. "I would rather die."

"Then we will oblige." Guy stated, grabbing her arm.

She balled her hand into a fist. "Let me go." She growled, her voice going cold.

"You have chosen-." She swung, connecting squarely with his nose. Blood squirted out of both nostrils as a loud crack echoed in the hall. He dropped her arm in favor of grabbing his nose. Serena snap kicked his knee, let him fall to the ground with a small groan, and then dropped on top of him, positioning her knees on his upper arms, while twisting her ankles around his thighs and forcing them apart. She wrapped her arms across his face, preparing to break his neck.

"Stop-wait." He blustered thickly, trying to speak around a mouthful of blood. Serena stopped, hoping he would beg for his life.

Suddenly, she found herself flying across the room to land in a heap about ten feet from where she had started. Pain exploded in her head as it cracked against the floor. Trying to ignore it, she climbed to her feet, but immediately regretted the movement when the room swam ominously in front of her. She stumbled, trying to peer through the liquidy room to find out where Guy had gone.

Hands touched her back. She whirled to face her attacker and promptly fell over when the room shifted completely around her.

"You shouldn't tempt me." Guy's voice was right in her ear.

"What are you? Humans aren't that strong." Serena gasped. He answered with a laugh.

"Here come your friends." He whispered, his breath hot against her ear.

Nikolai was the first to reach Serena, who closed her eyes to stop the feeling of nausea that was threatening to overtake her. Nikolai's hands were like cold fire on her scalp as he tried to locate the problem. "You are bleeding pretty bad." He commented.

"Tell me something I _want_ to know."

"You have a slight concussion."

"That will not release her from this night, Nikolai." Guy growled.

"Give us a moment to compose ourselves." Nikolai responded, "she needs medical attention."

Guy laughed, cold and cruel. "If she is your servant, she should be almost healed."

"You know that she is not." Nikolai stated.

"Then this will be only a memory for you." Guy laughed.

"He said I was to be Keagan's slave." Serena moaned, forcing herself to sit up. She missed the look that passed over Nikolai's face, as she tried to stop the room from spinning.

If she had seen the look on Nikolai's face, she would have seen the pure terror in his eyes.

* * *

_AN: -Smiles apologetically- Sorry peops. Got really busy the last few weeks. My hubby and I are starting a business and its taking more work than I had originally planned on. I now have over 25 book on the project, about 500 links to internet sites, and have to go through all of them for the information I need. Then I have my house to clean, some animals to take care of, and the rewrite of my series... Btw, I am proud to inform y'all that I have extended the prologue of book one, from 1400 + words (Cant remember the exact number) to 6285. Smiles indulgently. So be prepared. And I am seriously surprised at all of you. I went through the first three chapters, and rewrote them, then I went through it again and am now starting the final rewrite... and I am surprised that you all actually like my work. LOL I started crying last night because I thought I was letting you all down and everything. So I'm gonna go ahead and finish posting this story, then Im going to sit down and completely rewrite the series... I am dumbfounded at how "quick" book 1 ended and didnt realize that it was so horrible. -Smiles.- But I thank you all for giving me the belief in myself to keep writing, even after I started learning that I was posting stories that looked like a two year old wrote them. I really appreciate all of your support and promise to do better with all the stories. And I sincerely apologize to those that tried to get me to realize that I was not writing to my best ability. Please keep up all the support and keep me going. You guys are GREAT!!! And please keep posting reviews, now that I am going through the series for the final rewrite, any ideas, even flamers, will be appreciated._

_To TotalEclipseoftheHeart2114: -Smiles...- I cant help cliffhangers. I love books where its hard for me to put them down, and they usually have some kind of cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. -wink-_

_To ffgirlmoonie: I am moving from Klamath Falls, Oregon. My husband and I have always wanted to move to Montana, so we decided that when the new business lifts off, we're gonna jump into moving. Cheers happily We're hoping to go up there this summer to check it out for a couple weeks. _

_Thank you Frosty, I am glad you like the story! -smiles- have you read the others in the series. I dont remember if you posted on them or not, so I thought I had better ask._

_ To Sakurawolfblossom: -Holds hands abover her head- Ok! Im posting! Im posting!!! I swear I am... (sits back and stares at tv for several hours... jk)  
_


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Temptation

* * *

_You know the routine, standard disclaimer. The warning is the same as in previous chapters. And the double warning applies._

* * *

Darien stared at the man as he stepped from the shadows, recognizing him as the one that had hit Serena. Standing up, he lunged at the bars, straight for the man, who laughed when Darien slammed into the bars then howled in pain.

"You're pet doesn't realize what his cage is made of." The man turned cruel eyes to Andrew. "Do you?"

"Silver, iron and steel. A nice mixture." Andrew nodded. Darien growled. Silver, he should have known. Silver was the only type of metal, hell, the only thing that could hurt him as bad as it was hurting him. The man chuckled.

"Thank you." He said to Andrew, as if Andrew had complimented him. "I made this myself. I am sure that you appreciate the fact that there are no doors. I knew that the both of you would find a way out of it if there was one, with your brains and his strength." Darien growled again, hoping someone would take it as a sign that he could understand them, instead of talking about him in the third party sense.

"You must have worked hard and fast to make this by the time we woke up." Andrew stated. Darien realized that Andrew was trying to get the man to talk, to find out what was going on and maybe get some kind of information as to how to get out of the pen.

"I had most of it built when I arrived in New Tokyo." Jake said. His concentration turned to Darien as he sized him up. "So this is the Prince of New Tokyo."

"What are you going to do with us?" Andrew asked, again trying to distract Mr. Thomas.

"I see no sense in holding the information from you." The man stated. He seemed to enjoy taunting the fact that he knew something that they didn't. He carefully picked at his fingernails, taking several minutes to look around their room as if he had never seen it before, before he finally spoke again. "I am to hold you for forty-eight hours. Then I will get new orders." Darien felt his stomach sink.

"What's happening in the next forty-eight hours? Why hold us here?" Andrew asked, trying to make his voice sound bored and detached, though Darien could smell the anxiety welling up inside his friend.

"Nothing that concerns you." Mr. Thomas replied. "What I would be worried about is what will happen when your pet realizes you are bleeding." The man chuckled, his voice echoing off the walls to mock Darien and Andrew. Andrew looked down at the same moment that the man threw something at him.

A silver blade sunk deep into Andrew's thigh, and blood began to well out of the cut, seeping into his pants. Andrew grabbed the blade, bracing himself against the wall of the cage, and jerked it out. The blood poured more heavily and quickly out of the wound that Andrew had just opened more.

The sulfuric scent became tantalizing to Darien, who growled hungrily, staring at the blood that was dripping onto the floor of the cell. He took a step toward the red liquid, the smell pulling at his beast, then another step. He forced himself to stop only a foot away from his friend, trying to force the hunger he felt tearing at his insides to ebb.

Andrew had frozen at Darien's movements, and the mixed odor of blood and fear filled the air. Darien growled at himself, but Andrew flinched and pulled back. Before Darien could even think, he had grabbed Andrew's thigh, just below the wound, in an effort to stop Andrew from moving. But his grip was causing the blood to flow even more quickly.

Andrew whimpered. The sound echoed lightly through the cell, bringing Darien to his senses enough to drop Andrew's leg and move to the other side of the cage, as far from Andrew as he could get without being scorched by the silver in the bars. He huddled down, trying to ignore the attractive scent of blood, and knew that he was loosing the little control he held over the beast.

And he was scared.

* * *

Serena managed to slide the few feet between her and the wall and brace her back against it. She waited silently, her eyes closed, for the room to stop moving. She had heard and felt when Keagan, Mariette, and Alianna had all filed into the room while she was trying to regain her senses, but seeing them was a different matter. The three of them had all dressed up rather nicely. They reminded Serena of the way people would dress to go out to a state dinner or special affair.

Keagan had donned a black tuxedo, with a glaringly orange vest, the tux, minus the vest would have looked nice if it had been on anyone other than Keagan. He had tried to slick back his brown and gray hair into a ponytail, and then tied it with a silky black strip of fabric, which looked rather unconvincing of his sophistication. Serena wondered if he had ever heard of a hair tie or even a rubber band. Several strands of hair had managed to work their way loose and hung at odd angles over his head. His hazel eyes peered intently at Serena, who frowned back at him. She didn't like the way he was staring at her.

Alianna stood next to him, also looking at Serena, but her gaze was more predatory than interested. Her shining black hair tumbling loose over her caramel skin, managing to hide certain areas from view, but leaving nothing to the imagination. She was completely nude except for the belt at her waist that glittered and tinkled with each move she made. Strands of beads clung to the belt, falling loosely over her hips and pelvis. Each strand was about an inch apart. Serena liked the belt but she knew she would never get anything like it, now that she knew what kind of people wore it. Two extremely large black cats stood at either side of her, like sentinels. Serena realized that they could be nothing other than black panthers. _So that's what Luna would look like if she were any bigger, _Serena thought dazedly. The cats were absolutely gorgeous, but at the same time deathly silent. Their huge yellow eyes stared blankly into space as if they couldn't see anything going on around them, but Serena would have bet her life on the fact that if she had moved, they would have attacked.

Marietta wore a little aqua dress that looked like it could have been put on a life-sized porcelain doll. It looked like a renaissance gown that Serena had once seen on the cover of a historical romance. She had bought the book because of the gown thinking that maybe she would try to make one or special order one of her own, just in the interest of having it. But that was before she had learned about the things that go bump in the night. Marietta looked cute in the dress, though while the dress held some semblance to the dress Serena had seen on the cover of the romance, it had some marked differences. The underskirts were lighter shades of the aqua, ranging from light aqua to sea foam, and all of them were just barely visible. The dress had no neckline or shoulders, yet there were sleeves which were bell-like, at first being tight around her upper arms, then dangling broadly over her wrists. Her hair was tied in a mass of ringlets that trailed gently down her back, looking redder than brown due to the shade of the dress. Her face was carefully kept blank, her expression matching those of the black panthers.

_They had to be the three Ancients_, Serena thought staring at them. Her attention was riveted to the naked beauty that had begun to stalk across the room toward her, Nikolai, Trent and Molly, who squeaked in fear. The two cats matched their mistress step for step, always a foot behind her, their faces still showing a peaceful expression. Serena caught herself wondering where they had been when she had been at the dancehall the night before and turned her attention back to the present. Molly and Trent both moved in front of Serena, though Molly was shaking. They moved as one, like they had coordinated the effort. They seemed to want to use themselves as a wall between Alianna and Serena, but Serena knew it was more for show than anything else. Given the story of what the Ancients could do, Molly and Trent would seem like dolls to Alianna.

Nikolai, who had been kneeling next to Serena, stood and forced Alianna's interest on him, which she did willingly, brushing past Trent and Molly without a thought. Both of them fell to the floor as if they had been struck. Trent's expression registered shock as one of the large cats strode past him. Molly had gone pale and scooted back to Serena, trying to avoid the second cat at it moved by her.

"Hello, Nikolai." The woman purred. "You look better."

She raised a hand seeming to want to slap Nikolai, but instead grazed her nails down his cheek and over his shirt. Thin bright red lines appeared on his skin, and blood welled easily from the cuts to trickle over his skin. He stood still, frozen by whatever powers she had. She pushed open his shirt and licked the skin beneath, her tongue flicking on the cuts she had just inflicted through the fabric, her eyes staring into Nikolai's own.

"Leave him alone." Serena gasped, pushing herself to her feet.

"This isn't your business." Alianna growled not even glancing at Serena. Her eyes were still locked on Nikolai's and he didn't seem to want to look away.

"Yeah, it is. You terrify him."

Alianna laughed in response to Serena's statement. "I don't scare you, dear Nikolai, do I?" She purred exotically, nuzzling his neck. He stood frozen beneath her touch, and didn't respond. His lack of movement was beginning to alarm Serena.

"I said, 'stop it.'" Serena said, panic coloring her voice. Bracing herself against the wall, she grabbed Nikolai's arm and pulled him closer to her. "Or don't you understand English."

Nikolai's eyes flickered as he was turned to face her. Alianna peered over his shoulder at Serena. "You want her." Alianna whispered in Nikolai's ear. "Why don't you take her?" His skin seemed to grow pale and Serena felt a fine tremor in his arm.

"What are you doing to him?" Serena asked, her worry starting to become fear.

"You want to taste her." Alianna whispered, licking the skin beneath Nikolai's ear. "You want to feel her life in your mouth. To take relief in her blood." Her voice was hypnotic. "Taste her, Nikolai."

Serena felt her eyes widen. "Nikolai, listen to me. It's ok. You and I will get through this, you don't need to listen to her." Serena told him, trying to make her voice sound unconcerned, but it broke. She closed her eyes and forced her rapid pulse to slow to a steady rhythm then looked at Nikolai again. "It's alright, Nikolai. It's just a mind trick. You are stronger than that. I know you are. Don't listen-."

"Taste her, Nikolai. She wants you to. I can taste her lust in the air." Alianna interrupted, her ice blue eyes growing cold. The tremor in Nikolai's arm was getting worse.

Serena stared at Alianna surprised. "Nikolai, concentrate on my voice." Serena said, turning her attention back to Nikolai. "You can beat whatever hold she has on you. Come on, Nikolai. You can fight this."

"She's his sire, Serena." Guy said, coming close to them and leaning against the wall.

Serena frowned at him, "so?"

"He has to answer her. Each vampire answers to its sire. It's instinctive. Nothing has ever broken the hold of a sire and his or her child. In the end, Nikolai will do as Alianna asks." Guy stated.

"No, that's not true." Serena growled turning her attention back to Nikolai. "Nikolai, you know that is not true. It takes willpower to stop from doing what you don't want to do-."

"Oh, but he wants to." Alianna said silkily, her voice becoming throaty. Serena wondered if Alianna ever had a job as a phone sex lady. But the thought vanished the moment Alianna spoke again, "I know you want him to."

"Don't try to manipulate me, it won't work." Serena said, her heart leaping into her throat at the realization of what the woman was trying to do.

"You want him to taste you." Aliana whispered, her changing again, sounding more like the ocean than Serena had ever expected to hear in a human voice. "You want him to take life from you. To take your warmth into himself."

Serena shook her head. "You can go bite yourself." She punched the woman's head with what strength she had. The woman stumbled backwards. "I told you, your little trick wont work on me."

"I wouldn't have done that." Guy told Serena, sounding excited.

Serena instantly knew why. Energy swelled around her like a thunderstorm. She felt her eyes close and her body grow limp as the energy seeped into her. Nikolai, apparently released for a moment, caught Serena before she crumpled to the floor. _You want him to bite you_, the voice came into her mind, like Cat's had done before. But the voice was different, it wrapped around her mind, echoing in the recesses of her memory, and striking something in her body, making it tingle with desire.

Serena gasped, her heartbeat raced around in her head as the energy swam through her, touching places no one had ever touched before. It dug through her memories, shoving away all the fearful memories and pulling on the memories of longing.

Serena felt Nikolai's arms settle around her waist and found herself reacting to his touch, in more intimate ways than she had thought possible. She moaned softly, as wave after wave of pleasure swept over her, each stronger than the last.

Nikolai's mouth clamped over her own, demanding, controlling, dragging another gasp from her. Her body arched with need, pressing hard against his. She ran her tongue along his lips, and then grazed it against his eyeteeth._ Taste him,_ the voice whispered in her mind.

Serena's hand snuck around Nikolai's neck pulling him closer, demanding the same attention he was exacting from her. Something warm was building in her stomach. She broke away from the kiss panting. "No." She whispered.

Instantly, the spell was broken. The energy was still there, but it couldn't get inside of her. The pressure building in her stomach evaporated, and Serena found herself staring into Nikolai's flaming red eyes.

"Nikolai, you can stop what she's doing." Serena whispered, as his head hovered close to her mouth. He groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Over his head she saw Molly's eyes widen as she struggled against Keagan. Trent was fighting with the cats both of which were doing a good job of tearing him up.

Serena's awareness slipped back to Nikolai as she felt his teeth press against the skin of her neck. She tried to push at him, but he was solid and apparently not willing to move away from her. She gasped as she felt his teeth pierce the sensitive skin of her neck.

"Nikolai… please." She whimpered, feeling tears form in her eyes.

Suddenly, Nikolai was gone. Serena collapsed to the ground and gasping, looked wildly around. Nikolai was standing about five feet from her, staring at her. His body shook as if he was fighting against an invisible wall.

"FEED ON HER!" Alianna shrieked from across the room. Her hands were balled into fists at her hips. Her own eyes were glowing white with anger. "FEED ON HER OR I WILL KILL YOU!"

Nikolai turned toward her. Serena watched in amazement, as his mouth formed one word, "No."

* * *

_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. I will not respond to flamers. All I ask, if you do have something to say against my writing, is that you word it politely._


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Death Sentence

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

"No." Nikolai said more forcefully. His trembling was slowly ceasing, but he looked worn out.

Alianna shrieked in rage, "FEED ON HER." Nikolai stayed where he was, but stared at her, his eyes glowing with an inside fire. She lunged at Serena, shoving Nikolai aside in her attack. Serena saw, what she could only describe as being in slow motion, Nikolai fly across the room to smack into Trent and the two fighting cats, which seemed to take a real insult to Nikolai's disturbance. Aliana still bolted toward her, but then Molly broke free of Keagan and stood right in Alianna's way. Guy moved in behind Alianna and grabbed her throat from behind. She released an ear-piercing scream, clawing at Guy's arm.

"I think that you had better think again about that, Alianna." Guy stated. "They have earned their night." He turned to Serena. "You had better get some medical attention, but don't think you are free to not return tomorrow night. If you do not return we will kill everything living in this city of yours." Serena's skin went cold at the thought.

Instantly, everyone was gone. The cats, Alianna, Guy, Keagan, Mariette, and even the woman who had been above the table, had vanished. Trent was clutching his arm as it hung limply at his side; his body was covered in blood. Molly was pale but looked ok. Nikolai stared at the door to the manager's office looking as though he had just faced a ghost.

With her back to the wall, Serena slid to the ground, breathing heavily. Her ribs were beginning to ache in a way that told her she had managed to break several of them. The room had steadied, but she was on the way to getting one major headache. She let her eyelids drift close, feeling completely worn out.

"Molly, get Serena." Nikolai ordered. Serena suffered a moment of doubt, not really wanting to be touched by anyone.

"No, I can do it myself." Serena grunted. She tried to push herself to her feet, but her body refused to comply, instead she was back on the floor, panting like she had run a marathon.

"Molly." Nikolai growled, his eyes glued on the door. Serena understood, and agreed. If they came back, they would need a rear guard, and Nikolai seemed to be the strongest of all four of them.

Molly looked shaken, but given something to do, the change was miraculous. She was in charge of something, and Serena had an idea of how to get through the next night, if they decided to respond to Guy's threat. "You know, Serena? I thought you were going to end up fat eating all those sweets in school, but you aren't that heavy at all."

It was a ridiculous comment, possibly even stupid, but Serena laughed.

* * *

Andrew did the best he could to bandage the new wound. He knew what Darien was going through, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. Darien miraculously had a tenuous hold on his beast, though it seemed to be taking a lot out of him. Andrew knew the feeling well enough, when he had first started fighting the beast, but Darien shouldn't have been able to fight it at all. Andrew knew that if they ever got out of harms way, he would ask Rita to contact some of the other wolves and see what they knew about early control. For once, he knew that Rita and the others had been right about having contact with the other wolves of the world. He had never heard of early control, but maybe someone else had.

Andrew thought about transforming to help Darien's control, but immediately vetoed the idea, feeling that if he did transform, the likelihood that Darien would view him as a threat would be all to real. He could even attack while Andrew was trying to transform. What the world didn't know about wolves, not even written about in fantasy literature about them, was that to transform would leave them weak. They had no motor control due to the elongation of various bones. The rearranging of the bone structure often caused a pain that was hard to get through, none the less to know what was going on around them.

Andrew saw a fine tremor rip through Darien, and knew that if he didn't do something soon, Darien was going to loose control. "Darien, focus on me." Andrew stated, louder than he wanted. His voice echoed off the walls annoyingly. But Darien's head whipped toward him. Andrew saw that Darien's eyes were turning back to black, which would mean that the beast had taken over. "We will get out of here and we will get food." Andrew hurriedly told the towering half-wolf. The black beast lifted its head; its cold blue eyes flickered with the battle that was occurring inside it. Darien lifted his muzzle to the air and let out a roar that would have been better suited to a large cat, not a wolf or a human. Andrew started before he could stop himself. But Darien seemed, for the moment, to have regained complete control over his beast.

"What the hell is going on, Mr. Thomas?" A new voice asked. Andrew glanced around minutely, seeing the new figure enter through the curtained wall.

Andrew figured that the new man was about his own age, with long brown hair hanging loose over his shoulders. He had chocolate brown eyes that at the moment were fastened angrily on the older man. Andrew knew what the younger man was, almost instantly. The young man was a vampire. _What would a vampire be doing working with a werewolf hunter?_ Andrew thought.

"I was having some fun." Mr. Thomas stated looking upset.

"You sound like Alianna." The younger man said in annoyance. He moved closer to the cage and stared into it. His gaze ran over the wolf who seemed to be glaring at him. "I need the wolf alive. He are for my last trick against her." He walked around the cage as if sizing Darien up.

"Against who, Mr. Dracul?" Mr. Thomas asked in interest. Andrew's attention riveted to the new man. He knew that name. But he couldn't place how or where he knew it.

"That is none of your business." Mr. Dracul stated. He froze when he saw Andrew, his heavy brows knitting together in distaste. "I thought I told you only to get the wolf. He is the key to her." The new man growled turning to Mr. Thomas.

"He was with the wolf, talking to it. We didn't know what else to do with him, besides, I shot his shoulder. I wasn't about to leave him there so he could go running to the cops about my shooting him." Mr. Thomas complained.

"You could have killed him." Mr. Dracul stated, his eyes meeting Andrew's again. "He is of no use to us."

"I don't kill humans." Jake Thomas told his accomplice.

"We will pay you extra for his death. I remind you, he means nothing to us." The brown haired man stated, his gaze went back to Darien, who had stood. Andrew frowned as Darien moved to stand between himself and the new guy, growling. "Is he your pet?" Dracul asked, looking around Darien to glare at Andrew. "Did you train him to protect you?"

"From the looks of it you know as much about wolves as I do, and you know that they cannot be _trained_." Andrew replied.

Dracul laughed, turning to Mr. Thomas. "Feed him to the wolf."

"Believe it or not, sir. The wolf wont attack the man." Jake told his boss. "As you see, I shot him in the shoulder, and it is still bleeding but the wolf doesn't care." He shook his head, looking slightly surprised. "I even lodged a knife in that guy's thigh. The wolf seemed to be interested for a moment, then backed off."

"Well, kill the extra. I don't care how. Just get it done." Dracul snapped, turning and leaving the room.

* * *

_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. I will not respond to flamers. All I ask, if you do have something to say against my writing, is that you word it politely._


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Escape

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

Serena was back in the strange graveyard, standing in front of the old gravestone, and wearing the same Victorian dress that had plagued her dreams before. Power crackled around her, seeming to be calling the answering energy that laid inside of her. Serena stated the words that had become familiar, that she had almost learned by heart, "Come to me, by my blood you are mine." She chose her bones, the same pile of dust that had lived in the dark recesses of the earth. The same pile of dust she had called in every dream she had ever had of a graveyard. She knew it was a dream, but she didn't want to wake up. She wanted to know what was going on with her.

_She stared at the ground in front of her, and it was like she could see through it, to the chips of bone and dust that had once been human. Her energy dove into the dust, and enveloped it, cradling it, feeding it like a mother would a child. As she stared down, her eyes caught all of the movements as the bones snapped together, dust became other bones and joined the others. Tendons, muscles, and organs reformed from Serena's energy. Skin, hair and eyes. The eyes were what made Serena stumble. The eyes were dead. There was nothing there. No spark that would have appeared in the eyes of a living person. They were almost like a dolls eyes. Cold. _

"_You are part of me, as I am part of you. You are mine, come to me. I call you." The words seemed to have been torn from her throat. She subconsciously grabbed her throat to help with the burning pain that had abruptly started there, but her full attention was on the creature that was striving to rise through the ground, like a swimmer going to the surface for air. A hand erupted from the grave, reaching for the air, or for someone to pull it up. _

_It pulled itself out of its own grave, grabbing what it could to help the process. First it's head and shoulders were revealed, then its torso, stomach, thighs, and finally legs. Serena realized that from the first time she had ever had the dream, there was nothing crawling toward her, instead, it stood frozen in front of her. Staring at her, but not seeing her. It seemed to be waiting. _For what,_ Serena wondered. She forced herself to stay still and stare at the creature in front of her, not exactly knowing what to do, or how to do it if she knew what to do. It just stared at her with its dead eyes. _

Suddenly, Serena was awake. Her eyes took in the room around her in mild confusion. She had actually been tied to the bed, on which she laid, her body drenched in sweat as she shivered. The room itself was white and small. There was nothing in it besides her and the bed. A rather large door was at her feet, with a tiny window through which she could see Amy's mom and Amy talking. Serena didn't like being tied down while people were talking and she couldn't hear them. She screamed to get their attention, hoping that the room wasn't sound proofed.

She was right, the room wasn't. Both Amy and her mom jumped in surprise, and stared at Serena. Someone else ran up to the two of them, speaking hurriedly. Though Serena couldn't see or hear the other person, both Amy and her mother were nodding and staring away from the window.

The door opened and Amy entered looking half frightened. Her mother followed her into the room with a needle in her hands. "Whoa!" Serena squeaked. "You are SO not sticking that in me." Both women blinked in surprise.

"Serena? You're awake?" Amy asked, her voice high.

"Well, yeah. Now can someone untie me and explain why you want to shove a needle as big as my hand into me?" Serena asked eying the needle as if it was her worse enemy. Amy quickly moved to the bed and began to remove the ties that held Serena down. The moment Serena was free she rubbed her wrists and stood up. The movement made the room shift uncomfortably around her. Amy and her mom, needle apparently put away, caught Serena before she collapsed to the floor. They shifted her back onto the hard, army-like bed and stood back.

"It's ok, mom. I've got her." Amy said basically dismissing her mother, who looked a little upset at the statement, but left.

"Ok, what the hell is going on? The last thing I remember is passing out in the jeep." Serena stated.

"I'm glad you remember that Serena." Amy told her, her voice going slightly cold. "You freaked out when Molly brought you in, several people had to take up their own rooms in the hospital." At Serena's stricken face, Amy added, "don't worry, they are ok."

"So that was the reason for the needle and strapping me down? How long was I out?" Serena asked feeling herself frown.

"Yeah." Amy replied curtly. "Just a couple hours." She turned her dark blue eyes, which had managed to become darker with frustration, on Serena. "You have a concussion, four broken ribs, a sprained wrist, a dislocated shoulder, and your left leg has a crack in it." Serena looked at her doubtfully.

"I feel fine. Except for when I stood, then the room moved and I felt like I was gonna be sick."

"That's because you're so drugged up that you probably don't even realize what this conversation is about." Amy snapped. Serena stared at her friend thoughtfully. At the moment, she didn't feel drugged at all, and she definitely didn't feel any pain. But she decided to let that go in favor of finding out what pissed Amy off so much.

"What's wrong with you?" Serena inquired.

"You left us behind." She said with a sigh and sat on the edge of the bed, about a foot away from Serena. "We are your team and you left us behind."

"I had backup, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been able to get here when I did." Serena pointed out. Amy glared at her.

"You are our Princess, Serena. What would we do if we lost you? Our future would be gone, so would the peace of the world." Amy responded, her voice heated.

"You don't understand." Serena stated plainly. She was going to let the subject drop but realized that if she ever was released from the hospital she would have to face the others, and it probably wouldn't be pretty when she did. She let out a long breath. "I cant do to you what I did to Darien, ok? I can barely live with the fact that I managed to screw Darien up, just thinking about anyone else getting messed up because of me drives me insane." Serena stated, her voice empty of any emotion.

Amy stared at her, some of the anger seeping away. "Is that what this is? You are trying to protect us?"

"Look at it this way. In the most of the secret identity superhero mangas I have, they don't let people they care about know the truth about them. Let's just say I understand why." Serena shrugged.

Amy frowned. "Why don't you let us decide if we want to help, Serena? We would do anything we could for you, including turn into wolves."

Serena nodded knowingly. "And that's the problem." She dropped the subject. "I would like to go home." She paused and thought for a moment. "Where are Nikolai and the others?"

Amy sighed, and Serena knew that the fight wasn't even close to being over. "They are at the palace." She shook her head. "I'll see if I can get you released early."

Lita met them at the door, looking concerned. Her eyes traveled over Serena taking in the bandage over her forehead, her wrist in a sling, the crutches, and the huge bottle of painkillers in Amy's hand. She moved to help them into the sitting room without a room, her eyes almost black, like Amy's had been.

"What is going on?" Mina asked, standing up from the chair she had been sitting in. "Why are you taking off without letting people know where you are?"

Serena thought she sounded like a mother hen and frowned. "What I do with my time is my own business, Mina." She heard herself say coldly. She regretted her words but decided not to take them back when Mina's face fell. "Look, something is going on, and I don't want anyone involved ok?"

Lita sat back and stared at Serena. "Serena you cant do everything yourself. No one can do everything alone. We may be simple humans," the way Lita said humans sounded like it was an incredibly dirty word, "but we were able to help before, why not now?"

_And look what it cost to help me_, Serena felt like saying. She shook her head instead. "We're doing a really good job. I think we're winning." Serena said, trying to sound cheerful. Everyone looked at her as if she was insane.

"Getting a concussion means you are winning?" Mina asked, skeptically.

"We are no where near winning." Nikolai said from his place by the window. He had been staring outside at the snow-covered gardens. "Serena pissed off the Queen of Beasts."

"Oh, _she_ was the Queen?" Serena asked sarcastically. "And here I was thinking she was a really good actor with cool powers and _everything_."

Nikolai rounded on her. "Quit with your stupid smart ass remarks. You have managed to get us into more trouble than even I could conceive."

Serena leapt to her feet, ignoring the dizziness and lightheaded feeling that came with the sudden movement. "What was I supposed to do? Let you bite me? Let you drain me dry? LET YOU KILL ME?" She yelled.

Nikolai shook his head. "That wasn't what she wanted."

"Like hell it was." Serena snapped, stomping from the room.

"Dammit, Serena!" Nikolai barked, following her into the hall as she stumbled. "This isn't some game."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Serena screamed back at him, gripping the stairwell banister. "It happens to be _my _life I'm fighting for. You were the one that wanted to invite the Ancients to our party. You were the one that decided that you would mess up my life. You were the one, you and your kind, that brought me back here in the first place." Tears began to flow down her cheeks but she didn't care. "I had a life. A real life, without the help of you or anyone else. Without anyone telling me what to do or how to be. I had friends that liked me for who I was, not what I was. You find me interesting because of what I might one day be capable of, but do you even realize that I might be human, not some toy for you and your immortal friends can play with?"

She turned and jogged up the stairs, hoping to get to her room before she fell unconscious. But unconsciousness never came, and she was left alone with her thoughts of having let everyone down.

Darien and Andrew sat silently in the darkness. It had been a couple hours since Darien had almost lost control of the beast, and he had been lucky when Mr. Thomas grudgingly dropped part of a cow into the cage for him, otherwise he would have attacked Andrew. It had been a messy business with the cow, but he was sated for the moment. The hunger hung at the edges of him, but it wasn't trying to give his beast control of him anymore, which Darien felt was a blessing. But Andrew hadn't said much of anything and Darien was beginning to get worried that Andrew was mad at him.

Darien knew it was stupid to be worried about something like that when Andrew had been hiding a secret from him. But he found that it did matter. Maybe it was because he was in half-wolf form. He raised his muzzle to look at Andrew again, wondering how he could ask Andrew what was wrong. Even though the room was in total darkness again, Darien had very little trouble seeing the other man, but Darien relied more on the smell and sound of Andrew, than his sight of him.

Andrew's heartbeat was on the slow side and his breathing was steady. For a moment, Darien wondered if Andrew was asleep. Darien tried to say something, but once again it came out as a growl. Darien saw Andrew's slight movement, which announced that he had been startled.

"I hope you aren't hungry again." Andrew said from the darkness. "I don't know when Mr. Thomas will be back."

Darien huffed in response.

Andrew moved closer. "Maybe we can set up a system, you know. Two taps for no, one for yes, three for don't know."

Darien thought for a moment, then settled for a short growl.

"Ok, growls then. Can you smell anyone but us in here?" Darien snorted. "I'll take that as a no." Darien growled. "Ok. Can you smell fresh air, or any stirring in the air?" Darien sniffed, trying to catch anything that smelled of the forest. After a second, he growled again.

"Was that a yes?" Growl. "Ok. I still think the tapping would be easier." Snort. "Alright, you win. Can you tell me which direction the smell is coming from? Oh, wait, you cant." Andrew paused, Darien waited. "Is it coming from the North?" Darien froze, wondering which way was north. " Is it coming from this side of the cage?" Snort. "Your side." Snort. "In front of you?" Growl. "Ok, we're getting somewhere. Now we just have to figure out how to get out of this thing, there has to be a way. Otherwise we wouldn't be in here."

Andrew fell silent again, and Darien stretched, standing up. He walked thoughtfully up to the bars that led to the fresh air. Maybe if he could pull the bars enough for Andrew to get out and get some help. He touched one of the bars with the tip of a finger, and snarled in protest as a flash of intense pain swept through his skin. He stared at the bar and, if he were human, would have frowned. But it was the only way he could think of that would get him help. If not help then at least Andrew would be safe.

The thought that he might never see Serena again brought an intense wave of anger, unlike any he had ever felt before. Serena could be a klutz, she could be annoying and she could be the most wonderful person in the world. But he didn't want anything to happen to her and he was sure that whatever was supposed to happen within the next twenty-four house had something to do with her. He needed her to be warned.

Growling, he grabbed the bars. Instantly, pain flared in his hands, but he tried to ignore it as he shoved against the bars, feeling them stretch under his hands. They squealed ominously under the intense strength he used to bend them. He smelled flesh burning and knew it was his, but kept shoving with every particle of strength he had, until he was sure that the bars were wide enough for Andrew to slip through.

"What are you doing?" Andrew asked, his voice coming from the darkness next to Darien. Dropping to all fours, Darien moved his body next to Andrew's and began to herd him to the bent bars.

Just before he was able to get Andrew to them, he scented the hunter. Giving up on gentleness, Darien stood, grabbed Andrew and shoved him through the gap in the bars, then howled. Andrew understood, the sound of shoes hitting floor told Darien that Andrew was running in the direction of the door.

The door Andrew ran for opened "I will get help, Darien. I promise." Andrew whispered, apparently knowing that Darien could hear him as clearly as if he had yelled. The door closed with a small click at the same moment that the door the hunter was behind opened. The lights flared up, and to Darien's relief, Andrew was nowhere to be seen.

Get help, Andrew, and warn Serena, Darien thought as the man let out a shout and bolted from the room. Darien was alone again, and he realized with a pang that he had never felt lonelier.

_AN: Please read and review. Leave comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, etc if you wish. I will not respond to flamers. All I ask, if you do have something to say against my writing, is that you word it politely._


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Moving

* * *

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena had never felt so terrible in her life. The room tilted every time she moved, her head felt like it would split open any minute, her back felt like it had been run over by no less than two trucks, her left leg felt like it had been chopped off at the knee, and she had to give herself a shower with one hand. A full bottle of shampoo had finally managed to get the blood from her hair, but it had made her angrier than anything else. How dare anyone mess with her hair like that? Even though her hair was not as long as it used to be, it took over two hours to clean with one hand, and almost every inch of it had dried or caked blood in it.

After she had finally climbed from the shower, pruned more than she had ever been in her life, she started to wonder how she was going to dress and work her hair. With one hand out of commission, wrapped by Amy's mom at the hospital while Serena was unconscious, it would be a damned chore to get dressed never-the-less brush her hair. Lita, seeming to know that Serena needed help, opened the door to Serena's room and peered inside.

"Need help?" She asked conversationally.

"Oh, yes." Serena replied, for once finding herself smiling at her friend. The smile felt uncomfortable, like she hadn't used her face in that way in a long time.

Lita came the rest of the way into the room and immediately had Serena sit in front of her vanity desk, so she could start working on Serena's hair. "You look like crap."

Serena's mouth fell open the moment she saw herself. She couldn't remember not looking in a mirror before, but if she had she certainly wouldn't have sat in front of another. Her nose had swollen to twice its original size, her lower lip was swollen and a darker red than usual, and both eyes were blackened. The fact that her eyes had bags under them didn't help her appearance. But she couldn't remember being hit in the face, or anywhere close to it.

Shuddering, she glanced at Lita in the mirror, but Lita was busy working on her hair. "Thanks for helping my mood, too." Serena responded sarcastically. She tried another smile to take the sting out of her words, but Lita snagged a rat and almost ripped her hair out. "OUCH! Be careful!"

"Sorry." Lita muttered, deciding to start at the bottom of Serena's hair and work the snags out that way, instead of brushing from the top of Serena's head. "You look like you got in a fight with about two semi trucks, a steam roller, and a pizza delivery guy."

Serena couldn't help but laugh at the absurd comment. "How would you know? Ever seen anyone be attacked by all that?"

"Well, a pizza delivery guy and I got in a fight last night because I didn't give him a good enough tip. 'I deliver to the Crystal Palace, and all you tip me is five dollars, you are all cheap.'" She quoted shrugging. "I got mad. It was pretty messy."

Serena giggled. "You are one of the strangest people I know, Lita."

"Speak for yourself." Lita said winking over Serena's head in the mirror. "I'm not the one raising dead things that can follow me around."

Serena paled. She knew Lita wasn't trying to make fun of her, or tell her that she was horrible, but it reminded her that she still had stuff to do. She sighed. "Yeah, well, we need to hurry up."

Lita's face darkened, but she complied, quickly finishing Serena's hair into the customary pigtails, and helping Serena dress. "May I ask you a question?" Lita asked after Serena was fully dressed. Serena nodded, looking up at her friend to meet her eyes. "If you are going somewhere to fight, how are you going to draw your gun?"

Serena frowned. Without really thinking about it, she drew her gun and leveled it at Lita's head. "I am not left handed."

"No, I mean if they take your right hand." She didn't blink even though the gun was right next to her forehead. Serena gave her real credit for not showing any form of concern about the gun pointed at her.

"I die." Serena stated simply. "There isn't much else I can do."

Lita opened the bedroom door for Serena, who put her gun back into its shoulder holster. Serena nodded to her before leaving her room and quickly made her way down the hall. She made it down the stairs and into the dining room without falling over or taking Lita's proffered arm, which made her feel a little better. Maybe she wouldn't die because of all of her wounds causing her to be slow. Though she wished she had a werewolf's ability to heal.

Nikolai stood in the darkest corner of the room, the sun was still up, and Serena stopped just before entering the room. She didn't know how he could stand in a semi-lighted room, though the curtains were drawn. She had assumed that like the vampires in stories, he couldn't rise before sunset. Nikolai apparently sensed her watching him and turned to face her. An emotion swept across his face before he was able to cover it up. It had looked like surprise, but Serena wasn't sure. Why would he have been surprised about her being in her own dining room?

The answer came from another person. Mina dropped her fork and her mouth fell open the moment she saw Serena. The others' reactions were similar.

"You look like you were hit by a truck!" Amy stated bluntly, and then blushed in embarrassment. Serena raised her hands to her face and immediately wished she hadn't. Pain flared through her swollen lip, nose and bruised eyes at the touch.

"Well, thanks for the 'Good Morning', Ames." Serena stated flippantly, as she turned her attention to the food on the buffet. She felt like she was being stared at as she grabbed a cup of coffee, deciding that she didn't trust her stomach when the world kept shifting. She purposely kept her back to the room as she added four tablespoons of sugar and poured a generous amount of creamer into the coffee then stirred it. Sitting down and sipping the steaming tan liquid, she glanced at the others, who were indeed gaping at her, and leaned back into the chair.

"You aren't going alone this time." Lita said casually as she sat down next to Serena with her own cup of coffee. Serena stared at her.

"I will not take anyone…" She stopped, glancing at Nikolai, who seemed to have his gaze glued to her. "No one is going with us. Nikolai and I will go alone, no ands, ifs, or buts."

"Serena whatever happened last night-." Mina started.

"It's no one's business except Nikolai's and mine." She said. The thought of her bringing anyone with her into Limbo was enough to make her stomach churn.

"Serena, we can help." Amy said, her eyes wide.

"I know you want to help, guys, but seriously, this is only for Nikolai, Trent, Molly and I." Serena said, hoping for them understand.

"You think you are better than us?" Raye asked, taking a bite of scrambled egg. She didn't look at Serena, but kept her attention on her plate.

"No, I don't think that at all." Serena stated shocked.

"You act like it. All this sneaking around and not telling us anything." Finally, the dark haired girl turned her eyes on Serena. "You act like you are better than everyone. Since Darien was first attacked you have been locked in your room, lording it over us all. We have needed you, believe it or not, and you turned your back on us… Again."

Serena felt as though she had been slapped. "Raye! I didn't-."

"Whether you meant to or not, you have been." Raye stated coldly, turning her attention back to the food in front of her.

"Raye, that isn't fair." Serena said, her voice trembling.

"Raye, knock it off. You have no room to talk." Lita snapped angrily. Serena jumped and looked at her, only to see her glance at Serena before looking at her cup like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raye asked, glaring at Lita, who seemed to ignore her in favor of the cup.

"Not now, Raye." Amy said her eyes even wider than before. Serena frowned at them.

"What's going on? You get mad at me because I'm hiding stuff from you, yet it looks like you guys are also hiding something from me." Serena said, sitting back in her chair so she could see all of their faces.

"We will tell you later. It's kinda a long story, very complex." Mina stated. Glancing at Cat, who had remained quiet throughout the whole breakfast, Serena realized she wasn't the only one left in the dark. Though, it seemed that Cat was taking it in a different way than Serena. She studied each person in the room, ignoring Nikolai, with suspicion, leaving Serena without a doubt that she was still under Nikolai's payroll.

Before she could ask any more questions, she heard the doors in the main hall bang open. She didn't have time to get to her feet when both Lita and Cat had left the room. Lita's cry of dismay caused Serena to move faster than she had thought was possible. The dizziness that had plagued her all morning was forgotten.

In the hall, she saw what had caused Lita to cry out. She felt the other girls file around her as she made her way to the heap that she knew was Andrew. He had apparently passed out after coming inside. Both Cat and Lita moved to close the double doors and stop the freezing breeze from flooding the house.

Carefully, Serena shoved Andrew's side making him roll over. He flopped loosely, much to Serena's concern. Amy quickly checked his pulse and respiratory, then nodded and backed away, letting Serena try to wake him. Serena grabbed his shoulder and shook him as roughly as she could. She knew that he had gone after Darien, and given the fact that he was there, without Darien, and in the same clothing that he had left the other day in, she knew that something must have gone terribly wrong.

"Andrew?" Serena asked, forcing herself to calm down, at least until she heard the whole story. She shook his shoulder more gently, repeating, "Andrew?" But, after a few minutes of trying to be tender, concern for Darien made her slap his cheek. "Andrew! Snap out of it!" She snapped.

Andrew's hazel eyes snapped open and he brought a hand to his cheek. He focused on Serena. "Darien is in trouble. We have to get him out of there."

"Where?" Serena asked, helping him sit up. "Where is Darien?" She grabbed his shoulders.

"We were caught. There is a warehouse, they have him in a cage." Andrew said looking exhausted; he seemed confused as well, like he didn't know where he was.

"Where is the warehouse? Why did you leave Darien?" She asked, aware that her voice was rising in pitch but didn't care.

"The bars, he hurt himself to get me out, Serena we have to get him out of there. He was captured because of you. They told us yesterday that he was needed for forty-eight hours." Andrew stated. "I don't think they will kill him, the guy looked like he wasn't interested in it. It was more like he was holding Darien to stop you from something."

"Andrew," Lita said using a voice that Serena had heard people use on upset children. "Andrew, calm down, it's alright. You are safe at the Palace now." Lita knelt beside Serena. "Slow down and take a deep breath. Start from the beginning."

Andrew took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened to Darien and him, including the fact that Darien was in control of his beast, which Serena had already figured when he hadn't tried to attack her. After he finished explaining how he got away, Serena let him relax and close his eyes for a few minutes. She didn't want to wait very long, but she knew that he had to have worn himself out badly in trying to get to them.

"Why did they capture you then?" Amy asked after they had waited for a few minutes. Andrew's eyes snapped open and he considered her for a moment before answering.

"I don't know. I think its because I saw them taking him." He turned back to Serena. "Serena, we need to get him out of there."

"We will," Serena said, trying to give him a reassuring smile. "Lita, Cat we need to get into that warehouse right now. I don't like this."

"Where is it at?" Lita asked bending over Andrew to help him to his feet.

"The shadow district, past the Limbo Dance Hall. The building is the newest on the block with black trim." He shook his head. "I didn't really see much, to be honest. I was too busy getting out of there."

Nikolai cleared his throat behind Serena. "We have to go, now, Princess." He stated softly, as if he expected her to blame him or at least yell at him. Serena turned to face him.

"I cant." She stated, "I have to help Darien."

"If you do, you will die." Nikolai replied.

"If I don't, he will." Serena snapped.

"You don't know that. And you well know that there are more people at stake tonight than you and your… lover. I believe that we can save him tomorrow, during the day." He said.

Serena frowned. "I don't know what they will do to him now that Andrew isn't there."

"They weren't too nice when I _was_ there. This guy showed up and stopped Mr. Thomas from letting Darien eat me." Andrew added behind her. She looked over her shoulder at him.

"Mr. Thomas is working with someone?" She asked.

"No, he is working for a guy named Mr. Dracul, at least that is what I got from it all." Andrew stated.

"Great, so now we have Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Dracul to stop as well." Serena shook her head. "We need a plan." She glanced at Nikolai, "we need to stop this game that the Ancients are playing. I am getting very tired of it, very quickly. And we need to save Darien."

"We can help you get Darien, Serena." Lita said cautiously. Serena turned to stare at her.

"No."

"You can't say that. You can't stop us from trying to help save him, Serena." Mina said, her face showing her annoyance.

"Yes, I can." Serena growled at her. "I don't want any of you to die because of me."

"No one will die, Serena. We can take care of it." Amy said, trying to sound reassuring.

"No." Serena repeated stubbornly. "I'm not letting you guys get involved in something because some asshole wants to play it rough."

"So you're saying stay here and watch some movies, maybe eat some popcorn and be happy we are letting you risk your life to save… from the sounds of it, the entire city… and hope that Darien doesn't get killed because you have something more important to do than to save him at the moment?" Raye asked sarcastically. Having to hear Raye say it out loud made it sound so strange. Serena stared at the floor. Asking them to stay behind seemed almost cruel. Raye was right.

"Fine. Go get him." Serena snapped. "But if you die, I can't be blamed. It wasn't my mistake." She stormed from the hall into the evening, Nikolai, Trent, and Molly following close behind.

Serena was too angry to deal with the other's problem with her at the moment. She was tired of being attacked, tired of being used, and tired of being set up.

Now it was her turn to be the master of the game.

Something slammed into Darien's side, knocking the air out of him. He snapped awake and rolled to one side of the cage, immediately trying to scent out the attacker and predict his next move. He didn't know how the attacker managed to get into the cage without in some way alerting Darien to his presence, but he had.

The lights flared on, showing that the man, who had originally captured Darien, was standing about a foot from Darien. The man was grinning from ear to ear, as he aimed another kick to Darien's head. Darien leapt to his feet, and rushed like he was going to run past the man, snapping a clawed hand out at the last second and catching the man's throat in it.

"Looks like the schedule has been moved forward." Mr. Thomas stated, looking angry. Darien froze, holding the man's windpipe in his hand. "You are lucky, you are being shipped out tonight, so I wont be able to prove to your people that you exist. But I will find your friend. I know he's an alpha." Mr. Thomas smiled darkly. "I'm afraid that after tonight you wont be useful." Something struck Darien in the neck, and there was a sting of pain. Darien growled in anger, his hand flexing and accidentally crushing his attacker's throat. When Darien opened his hand, the man fell to the floor in a heap, not breathing.

All the guilt Darien had felt at having killed a man fled beneath a wave of hunger. Another sting ignited itself in Darien's arm as he lowered his head to take a bite of the meat in front of him. Several more punctured Darien's back and he growled in annoyance. Turning as more stings nailed his arms and back to face what was attacking him now. But he didn't see anything at all. Slowly, he noticed that the edges of his vision were fading. Before he realized what had happened, he was on his knees and feeling weaker by the moment.

Mr. Thomas began to laugh as he strode from the room. The laugher echoed ominously in Darien's ears, as several thugs appeared from the shadows holding tranquilizer guns, and Darien knew then that he would never see Serena again.

His howls drowned out the mocking laughter.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Changes

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Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

* * *

Serena tapped on the door to the dance hall, fighting off a slight wave of nausea. Nikolai, Trent and Molly were gathered behind her, almost as if they were huddling together to fight off the cold breeze that swept around them. One particularly nasty gust of wind snapped at her, biting through her trench coat, which she had grabbed from Lita's room to hide her guns. She wondered vaguely if the vampires could smell the guns, but didn't want to ask.

Nikolai tapped her shoulder, silently, and then pointed at the edge of the parking lot in an inconspicuous way. Serena glanced the direction he pointed, spotting a very familiar car parked in a spot where there had been no car before. She sighed. _Dammit_, her mind growled angrily. She shook her head, hoping that whoever was ignoring her orders at least had some sense not to come inside unless she requested it, mainly that would mean screaming her head off. But she didn't think any humans could be any better off than three vampires. She shrugged. At least it would mean that there another backup plan if the original plan didn't work.

Her first plan was to walk inside, all innocent, then start shooting holes into anything that moved, and have the three vampires at her back start tearing things apart, and if that didn't work, she was going to start screaming her head off and hoped whoever disobeyed her would hear and use a rocket launcher and just destroy the Limbo.

She shifted her weight cautiously off of one foot and glared at the door. "What's taking so long?" Serena muttered grumpily. Nikolai glanced at her speculatively.

"They are testing our patience." He stated as if that was obvious.

"In your own home?" Serena asked, feeling even grumpier. "We'll I am not a patient person. Not any more. Not with their games. They have to pay for all of this crap."

Nikolai looked away, but Serena saw his shoulders shake in what she guessed was silent laughter. "I wouldn't push it, princess."

"Would you _quit_ calling me princess?!" Serena growled.

Nikolai stepped closer to her. "No." He whispered as if it was a big secret. Serena rolled her eyes felling slightly disappointed, but she couldn't say why. She squared her shoulders and hit on the door with her fist, then bit her lip as pain flared through her arm at the abuse.

"Damnit," she swore massaging the hand. "Why did you have to make the doors so damn hard?"

"It was made to keep people from coming inside during specific times of the day." Nikolai said conversationally.

"And keep us out." Serena interrupted, frowning.

"Sere, what are we going to do once we get inside?" Molly asked suddenly. Serena peered at her through the biting cold wind, wondering where Molly had been when she had been discussing it in the car. Mentally shaking her head, she realized that that was an unfair thought.

"Guns blazing." Serena shrugged. "I'm tired of playing their games." She looked at the door again, wondering when it was going to open.

"I don't think that that is a good idea, Serena."

"Why not? If I take a couple heads off, maybe they will get down to business instead of making me feel like an old used toy that no one really likes."

"I think you caught their attention when Alianna played her trick, princess." Nikolai said, jumping into Molly and her conversation.

"Well, that's nice." Serena stated sarcastically. "Maybe I should bring them a gift basket. Frankly, what Alianna did was way too close to rape for my personal comfort."

Something snapped into her mind, impossibly at the last moment, but it was something she could use. "Nikolai, didn't they say that I earned our night, or something, but that I needed to come back tonight?"

Nikolai looked at her, his face was completely black, but she figured that the face was covering his confusion. "Yes."

"They didn't say anything about you guys, did they?"

A light entered Nikolai's eyes, but Serena couldn't tell exactly what it was. "No, it didn't mention us. But I will not let you go inside alone."

"Molly?" Serena said, turning on her red-haired friend. "Go, take off, you too, Trent. You may need to come in and save us, but I don't really think that that will be necessary. If they can change the rules because of a few mistaken words, then so can we."

Both Trent and Molly nodded. Serena realized that they were thinking it was a dominance ploy. Frankly, she didn't care what they thought, as long as it got them away from there. They trotted back toward Serena's jeep and leaped inside. Serena hoped that they would have enough brains to lay low, and that whoever had followed them would stay in their car until she and Nikolai were inside and no one was looking out.

Serena turned so that she could face Nikolai and moved to lean her back against the unyielding door, but just as she did so, the door opened. Nikolai's quick reflexes were the only thing that saved her from falling. He caught her arm and pulled her back into an upright position, turning her to face Guy who stood in the doorway looking down at them. Serena frowned at his condescending look and shoved past him into the dance hall.

"Impatience is not a virtue to men." Guy stated from directly behind Serena. Serena turned and glared at him.

"I am not a man, I am a woman. And besides, if what you all fear is true, then I am not a man in a secondary sense, now am I?" Serena replied. He flinched to her surprise. She still couldn't figure out what he had to do with vampires, he seemed so now. She found herself wondering if other servants were able to cope with the times. But she hadn't really had any experience with any of the vampire servants, so she wouldn't really know how well they coped. _Maybe where vampires were, there was no reason for the servants to cope,_ she thought. Then shook her head.

"Where are the other two, Trent and Molly?" Guy asked, looking out the door after Nikolai entered.

"They stayed home." Serena stated, watching him. She didn't really want to push any buttons but she also didn't want Molly anywhere where there could be destruction.

"I thought we had made it clear that you were supposed to return tonight." Guy said casually as he turned back to her and closed the door.

"Yeah, you did." Serena replied with a feigned smile.

"Then where are they?"

"Are you really that deaf, I told you, they are at home." Her smile was becoming genuine as frustration flickered through Guy's face.

"We had a deal." He said, still trying to sound conversational.

"Yes, we do."

"Yet you are here with only Nikolai."

"That was his choice. Trent and Molly didn't want to come back."

"Princess." Nikolai interrupted the conversation. Serena sent him a look that she hoped would tell him he was taking all of her fun away. She couldn't help baiting Guy, but he only added to it by being so obtuse. "What she means to say is that you were unclear about who should come. You only stated for her to return tonight." He told Guy. Serena rolled her eyes, and turned to wander into the main dance floor of the building.

Music blasted from the speakers around them, and Serena mistakenly thought it sounded like cannon fire. She ducked, covering her head, before she recognized the notes now swimming around them. Glancing up at Guy, she saw him clench his hands and glare upwards.

"Damnit, Alianna. Leave that equipment alone!!!" Guy roared. Serena straightened up trying to hide a smile. Nothing worse than a curious vampire.

"Problems in the ranks?" Serena asked, trying to look innocent as she edged her hand toward her gun. Catching a slight movement behind Guy's shoulder, she saw Nikolai shake his head. She froze puzzled. It was the wrong thing to do, Guy spotted her movement and grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip. Serena gasped in alarm, trying to pull her arm back. He pulled her against his chest and used his other hand to jerk the coat and shoulder holster from her. Pain flooded both arms as he wrested it from her. Then Guy shoved her away from him, forcing her to skid on her feet almost ten feet before she was able to stop. The movements made her nausea rise and she clutched her throat hoping that she wouldn't throw up, the feeling took her knees out of under her, which only seemed to inflame the sick feeling.

"You shouldn't have done that." Guy's cold voice drifted through her hazy brain. She swallowed hard and looked up. Some other vampires had appeared in the room and a couple had grabbed Nikolai, who stood completely motionless. Keagan stood to one side of Guy glaring down at Serena. She sighed, forcing the nausea away, and climbing slowly to her feet. She made it look harder than it was but by the time that she was standing straight again she had her small berretta in her hand and pointed at Keagan's head.

Disbelief flickered across Keagan's face and Serena felt tempted to pull the trigger. "Let him go." She bit the words out, her focus on Keagan, but she was also trying to discern any other movements that might take her clear shot. Guy shrugged, moving a hand. The vampires holding Nikolai stepped back, releasing him. Serena shifted her weight slightly, cupping the butt of the gun in both hands, she knew that one shot would take Keagan's head completely off.

"Now, we are going to stop with the games. If you have something to ask, you better ask it." A slight movement behind her caught her attention. She pulled the trigger and whirled. When she stopped moving, the barrel of the gun was resting on Alianna's left breast. Serena didn't blush. A cold awareness seemed to settle over her, she had a great shot, and she wasn't about to back down. "Don't push me."

"Serena." The one word was filled with so much regret, that Serena couldn't help to look over her shoulder at Nikolai. Something smashed into her head from the side. She screamed, feeling her stomach lift into her throat as she flew across the room to land hard into a wall. A tangy metallic taste filled her mouth, and wetness began to leak from her nose. She forced herself to her knees, bracing her hurt wrist to her stomach as she wretched. When she was finished, she raised her hand to wipe her face, and stared as it came away with blood. The floor was also covered in blood. It took her a moment to realize that she had only had coffee so there was nothing in her stomach to throw up. She tried to climb to her feet, but dizziness swept over her, and for a few minutes she stared numbly at Nikolai, who was fighting with two vampires.

The room suddenly went dark, the music killed. Groaning, she wondered if she had been knocked unconscious without realizing it. Forcing her wobbling legs underneath her, she pushed her back against the wall and used it to help her gain her feet. She narrowed her eyes in an attempt to find her gun, which she knew, had left her hands at the same moment she had been clobbered in the head. She didn't see it anywhere. She drew the sawed-off shotgun that Cat had given her and slowly made her way toward the door that lead to the managers' office.

Just before she reached the door, she heard the sound of breathing and turned to confront it.

Darien shook off the drugs that had been pumped into him. They had knocked him out for what felt like hours, but Darien knew that drugs didn't last on wolves the way that they would on normal humans. He shoved himself to his feet and realized that he was no longer in the cage. Instead he was in a small dark room, which looked like, in his grayish vision, it had been painted black for some reason or another. There was nothing in the room with him, which was also a surprise.

Scenting the air, he smelled something familiar, as well as a strong odor of blood. Movement heading toward him claimed his attention as he tried to discern the form of a woman. The scent of blood was too strong for his other senses to compensate, no matter how hard he tried, so he couldn't get a scent off of her like he would have if the blood hadn't been near.

He hadn't eaten in the last several hours and knew he was hungry, when his stomach growled, he echoed it. The woman stiffened, looking around. The movement was slow, precise, as if she were gravely wounded, but too stubborn to give up. He moved, realizing that the familiar scent he had picked up had been gun oil. The woman turned almost as if seeing him, the gun in her hands moving with her eyes. He froze, for a moment, uncertain.

Then she lowered her gun, and he saw his chance. He darted forward, driven by the smell of blood, and carried her to the floor.

"Darien." The word had come out as a gasp, but it stilled him. Staring down on her, he knew that he had been about to attack Serena, who looked pale and bloody. She didn't fight him, just laid perfectly still, as if he were a bear and she was trying to fool him. He sniffed at her, trying to discern if it wasn't some kind of joke. The acidic aroma of blood filled his nose again, and he growled, fighting off the hunger that instantly flared in his own blood. He had lowered his head closer to her face before he had realized that he was doing so.

He could barely see her eyes widen in fear, and knew that he needed to get away. Instantly he was gone, roaring. He slammed into wall after wall, trying to find some way out of the closed room and at the same time, use pain to deaden the urge to feed. But he couldn't pick anything out. He knew that there was a door to the managers' and employees' rooms somewhere, but where, he didn't know. He froze when he heard Serena climb to her feet, and knew that she hadn't picked up her gun.

"Darien?" She whispered, though the sound was loud and ominous in his ears.

He growled in warning, hoping she would understand that if she didn't move, he could forget about her until he found a door. He didn't want to think about what would happen if she moved. She moved.

He whirled and pounced, for a moment forgetting that she was Serena. He stayed his jaws just before he got to her throat. She had cried out when she had fallen, the sound so pain-filled that somehow it broke through his hunger-crazed mind. Serena was hurt, and bad, from the sound of it. He backed away and crouched, watching her.

She moved to sit up, but he noticed that she appeared even paler than when he had first spotted her through the darkness. She struggled to get to her feet, her breath coming in gasps. He couldn't stop himself from holding out a hand to help her up, and somehow was relieved when she grabbed his wrist and pulled. She managed to get to her feet, but stared at him warily. He tried to apologize, but it came out a few growls and a soft yip.

Serena sighed. "Can you still understand me?" She whispered, the smell of fear wrapping around her like a thick blanket. He stepped back, feeling the stirrings of his hunger again and tried to nod. "I'll take that as a yes." She looked around the room.

The room suddenly flared with light, and Darien saw Serena flinch as she tried to ignore the bright lights. "Very funny game." Serena called. "I think we won this one."

Darien looked around, spotting the body of a well-dressed older man. The body didn't have a head, but blood had seeped around the body, swelling into the clothing. He didn't know how he hadn't seen it before. The hunger raged through him instantly, and he forced himself to the dead body, instead of the live one. He began to feed, tearing chunks off the body, and swallowing them, ignoring the bitter taste. The body tasted as if it had been dead for years, but he needed the food, or he would hurt Serena. He didn't pay attention to the discussion that Serena was having, or the people who came into the room. He focused his attention fully on eating.

The sound of something getting hit caught his attention though. He lifted his head in time to see Serena drop to the ground, a cry of pain slipping past her mouth. She shifted, trying to reach for the gun she had been carrying, but another woman, completely nude, grabbed it and trained it on her. Darien didn't hide his anger, as he growled, moving into a jumping crouch.

"I don't want her hurt." A man stated. Darien glanced at him, and then froze. It had been the same man that had stopped Mr. Thomas from letting Darien feed on Andrew. The man pointed at Darien. "Kill him, we might be able to get some compliance from her.

"No." Serena gasped, struggling to sit up.

The nude woman raised the gun training it on him. A sudden wave of energy flowed around him, whispering to him. It tugged at all the peace that he had had in his life. As he relaxed, he felt his body begin to change. Pain ripped through him as his bone structure shifted, pulling in on itself. He cried out. Then he realized what was happening. He was being forced to change before it was time.

And it was going to kill him.

* * *

_AN: I am losing Internet for a while, but will post more as soon as possible... I hope you will keep reading my stories, and keep posting reviews. Thank all of you for your input and thoughts. Dont stop, I hope to have internet back at the beginning of the new year, so see you all then!!!!!  
_


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

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_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

* * *

Serena couldn't help but stare as Darien's fur dropped to the ground in patches. She ignored the queasiness that swarmed over her as she climbed to her feet. Taking several steps toward Darien, she realized that Alianna was forcing him to change. She could focus her energy on only one person, instead of letting the room flood with energy. 

Serena turned to stare at her. Alianna's eyes were glazed in concentration, sweat appeared on her forehead, and her upper lip. Something flashed through the ice blue eyes and after a second, Serena recognized it. Lust. What she was doing to Darien was turning her on. Serena tried to think quickly, her heart leaping into her throat, but she couldn't seem to plan anything with Darien writhing on the floor behind her. She knew that she could only watch in helplessness as Darien screamed, becoming more himself.

Something exploded somewhere in the building, halting Darien's change, as everyone looked up. Even Alianna looked around bewildered. Serena took a chance. She charged, grabbing the barrel of her gun and tried to jerk it from the other woman's hands.

It was a bad move. The gun exploded in her hands and Serena felt like her good leg had been taken off. She screamed as she tumbled to the floor, blood seeping out of the hole in her leg. She knew she was lucky to have her leg still attached, but DAMN did it hurt. She didn't bother stopping the tears of pain that flowed from her eyes. She couldn't do anything about it. Mercifully, her hands were still on the gun. She jerked harder, flinching as the movement wrenched at her leg. Alianna, surprised at what Serena had done, let it go. Guy was instantly beside Serena, his eyes on her leg.

"I am-." Guy started.

"Don't." Serena growled, aiming the gun at his head. He may have not been a vampire, but a good headshot would take his head of, especially giving the size of the hole in her leg, there wouldn't be very much brains left. He leaned back, staring at her. "Call her off of Darien."

"Alianna, leave him alone." Guy stated, never taking his eyes off of Serena.

"Where is Nikolai?" Serena asked.

"He is in the office with Marietta." Guy said, his voice growing cold. Moving quicker than humanly possible, he grabbed her leg next to the hole. She screamed, dropping the gun to force his hands away from the wound. He picked up the gun.

Serena forgot about the pain in her leg, as she saw a larger hole appear in Darien's thigh, almost exactly where her own was.

"Stop it!" She cried.

"Hands up! Or we begin shooting!" Lita's voice shouted. Serena jerked in surprise, turning to face the door to the manager's office. Lita stood on one side holding another sawed-off shotgun. Cat was standing right beside her, her gun pointing at Alianna. Nikolai, Molly, and Trent stood behind them, along with Raye, Mina, Amy, and Andrew, all of which had guns except for the vampires. Raye and Cat were both staring at Darien, who was still writhing on the floor near Serena. Serena knew how everything must look to them. Blood was everywhere; both Darien and herself were bloody beyond belief, while the vampires in the room looked immaculate.

Nikolai stared at Serena as if he had never seen her before, while Molly and the others were glowering at the faces of the vampires in the room. One vampire, standing closest to Lita, leapt toward her. Before Serena could cry out in warning, an explosion sounded and the vampire fell, a hole in his chest. Another explosion sounded in the room as his head was shattered into tiny flecks of blood.

"I said 'Hands up!'" Lita growled.

"I would put your own guns down before I shoot your princess." Guy stated, his voice like ice. Lita faced him, her eyes taking in Serena, who could no more move out of the way than a rabbit could get out of the headlights of a semi-truck. She glanced at Cat and dropped her gun. It clanked to the floor, echoing in the silence of the room. A few seconds later, the sound of guns being dropped echoed like the sound of hail.

"That's better." Guy stated, not taking his eyes off of Lita. He assumed that she was the leader of the group, Serena realized. She tried to hide the smirk as she watched Cat pull a tiny gun from her pocket and aim it at Guy's head. Serena wasn't surprised that no one spotted the small movements since Cat had moved to stand behind Nikolai and Molly, who had tried to look as though they were doing nothing unusual, but Serena saw the movement because she knew that Cat was the leader not Lita, and Cat always seemed to have a few tricks up her sleeve.

"I wouldn't push it, girl. Step from behind Nikolai." Guy suddenly commanded, his eyes still on Lita. Serena frowned. Taking another chance, and risking a lot of pain, she rolled, throwing her good leg at Guy, to knock her gun from his hands; she heard it skitter across the floor. But at the same moment she had acted, the remaining vampires in the room had attacked the others, who were completely unaware of what she had done.

Guy grabbed Serena's shoulders, forcing her to stop her motion. He tightened his hold, causing her to gasp in pain as she felt the bones in her collar tighten. He stilled his hands, leaving them tight, as if it didn't bother him at all to keep his grip, when she knew it must have been wearing on him. She tried to shift but was rewarded with a twinge of pain as she felt his fingers flex, pressing harder into her skin. "Don't fight me, Serena." Guy whispered against her ear, his breath hot against her skin. "Don't fight us, we wont hurt you."

"No, just my friends." She said sarcastically. He wrenched her hard, forcing her to look up at him.

"Do not play games with me, Serena." He said coldly.

"No, I cant, but you can. This was a great amusement to you, wasn't it?" Serena scoffed. "You love it when people you know get killed, where you inflict pain. Guess what, one day you are the one that is going to be feeling pain, you are the one that is going to pay for what you do."

Amusement glittered in his eyes at her rebuttal. "Don't worry yourself, I have seen much more than you will ever know. I have already paid my price for this existence." He said. Serena frowned. This was new.

"What do you mean?" She asked not hiding her curiousity.

"I am happy to tell you that I watched my entire family die." Guy said, his eyes becoming shuttered.

"Who killed them?" Serena asked in spite of herself.

"I did." He pulled away from her, and then jerked her to her feet. She cried out as pain shot through her leg. She felt cold at the announcement. How could he have killed his family? She was sure that there was regret in his voice as he spoke to her. She lifted her head to stare at him. "It is nothing to concern yourself with, Serena." Guy stated in his jovial tone. Serena shook her head.

"I am not concerned about it. I just wonder how you could have killed your family, and sound so sorry for it. If you killed them, you wouldn't be filled with regret." Serena stated.

Guy suddenly roared, throwing her at the group standing in front of the door. "Get them out of my sight. I will speak to them later." Anger tinged his voice. Serena knew she was right, something had happened to him, and he didn't want to admit it. She knew that she now had a weapon. She stared at Nikolai, letting him see that she was confident. It was a bad move. He shot her other thigh, and as she shrieked in pain, he waved the vampires surrounding her small group off.

* * *

Darien felt relief at the pain that had wrenched through him. The transformation had stopped. But the echoes of pain had clustered his senses until well after the time that he and the others had been removed below stairs. Groaning, he pushed himself off the floor.

Serena was slumped against the wall, her breathing labored, as sweat streamed down her body. Apparently, they had thrown her in with him, apparently believing that he wouldn't attack her after the show that they had given in the main rooms. She shifted slightly, and winced in pain, her breath catching. He saw the slight flush of color before it drained from her skin, leaving it even paler than before, but she didn't open her eyes. He realized that she was unconscious, and moved closer, hoping somehow that he could give her some comfort. Then he noticed the two puddles of blood seeping out from underneath her legs. He knew at that moment that she had lost too much blood and might not regain consciousness.

He could feel that dawn was only an hour or so away, so he knew that they wouldn't be getting any visits from anyone, at least not until after dark. Glancing around he saw that they were in a small dressing room, with only a vanity and some flood lights. The room was well lit. A small camera on the wall told Darien that they were being watched. Slowly he maneuvered himself until he was directly below the camera. A quick slice with his claws took care of the cable lead to wherever the monitor was.

He made his way back to her, to check on her, before he moved to examine the door. He leaned his weight tentatively on it, then leapt backwards with a growl as the skin under his fur broiled dangerously. The paint on the door had come off, revealing a completely silver sheen.

A soft moan drew his attention back to Serena. She was trying to push herself off the wall. Finally, she settled back down. Lifting her gaze to meet his own, he recoiled. Her eyes were glassy, pain-filled and frightened. He knew instantly that a fever was claiming her.

"Darien." She gasped, a feeble frown marring her delicate face. "Help me… stand." She whispered, her voice thick with the pain that he saw in her eyes. He growled and shook his head.

"Don't argue…" She paused after snapping, trying to catch her breath. "The door… its all silver… you cant… open." She flinched, and then forced herself to relax. "I can."

Darien realized that that was true. He wondered how the vampires had made the mistake of putting her in there with him. _Was it a trap,_ he wondered. A slow smile spread across her face.

"I have a fever, Darien…" She mumbled slowly. "They think… I'm unconscious… I think that the door," She paused, flinching again and took a deep breath. Darien was reminded of his surprise at how much she had changed in the last two and a half years. She had grown stronger than he had thought possible. She had given up trying to avoid the problems, and instead fought against them with a steely determination. How had he missed the resolve that had come with her, he would never know. She almost managed to stifle a pained moan, but continued as if she hadn't stopped, her voice stronger. "Is locked. But I think I might be able to get it open… Please Darien."

That time Darien nodded, or at least tried. He moved closer to her, then very gently, and careful not to nick her with his claws, picked her up. She dangled lifelessly in his arms for a second, her eyes closed. He wondered briefly if she had passed out, knowing that even the slightest movement was painful.

After a moment, she shifted, putting her head against his shoulder. He sighed, but carefully moved to the door. She reached out and twisted the knob, surprising both of them when the door swung open.

Darien stepped into the hall and sniffed, ignoring the scent of blood, for fresh air. Serena stayed quiet while he sorted through the smells. Finally, he knew which way the entrance to the hall was. He turned and started walking toward the scent of air.

A soft touch on his neck stopped him. Glancing down at Serena, he found himself amazed that she still trusted him. Unbidden, Raye's kiss entered his mind. He threw the thought off growing annoyed at himself, that wasn't a good time for him to be thinking of things that shouldn't have happened in the first place.

"Darien…" Serena whispered. "The others…" When her head flopped backwards, he knew she had truly passed out. He needed to get her help, but he couldn't ignore the fact that she wanted the others safe. As gently as he could, he shifted her weight until she was slung over his shoulder, and silently prayed that she wouldn't feel any more pain in her unconscious state. He scented the air again, picking up Andrew's odor, and followed it down the hall in the opposite direction from the door to the outside world.

The moment he found the door to Andrew's room, he knew it was useless. His door was also silver. Darien growled frustrated, he wanted the outside world, he wanted out of the mass of corridors and doors. He lifted his nose and caught another familiar scent. Nikolai.

Turning he punched the door opposite of Andrews. It flew off its hinges and slammed into the wall beyond it. Nikolai peeked around the edge of the door and stared at Darien, his eyes taking in Serena's lifeless form over his shoulder.

Darien stared at him questioningly. The door had been made of wood; he couldn't understand why Nikolai hadn't just opened it. "The door was made of Elder." Nikolai stated, apparently understanding Darien's confusion. "Just as you are allergic to silver, I am allergic to Elder." Darien stepped into the room grabbing a shard of the wood from the splintered door. He felt Nikolai's eyes on his back as he finally turned, holding the splinter, which was more like a thick branch, in his free clawed hand like a weapon. He motioned Nikolai into the hall in front of him.

Nikolai crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. "I don't trust that you wont shove that into me." Nikolai stated. Darien shrugged stepped through the doorframe then stood beside the door that would lead to Andrew. Nikolai stepped through the threshold and stared at Darien. "Well…" He said, then waited. After a few minutes, he added, "where are we going?" Darien shook his head, motioning toward the door.

Nikolai's eyes narrowed as he looked at it. Finally, catching on to what Darien wanted, he stepped forward and twisted the knob, it didn't budge. Darien growled a warning, then bracing himself, he chopped his free hand across the knob, breaking it free. Nikolai reached into the hole where the doorknob had been, and Darien heard the click just before the door opened. Andrew was immediately in the hall, staring between the two of them.

"We must get out of here, now." Nikolai stated, staring at Darien. Darien looked at Andrew and snorted.

"He says 'no'." Andrew supplied, apparently still remembering their code. Andrew frowned at him. "Let me guess, we need to find the others." Darien growled. Andrew nodded, then apparently noticed Serena dangling lifelessly on his shoulder. "I will carry her." Darien snorted. "Don't be stubborn. What happens if we get attacked? You might accidentally scratch her and she will be one of us." Darien stared at Andrew. The thought was tempting. Darien and Serena could be together as werewolves and as humans. "Darien." Andrew said, his eyes growing lighter. "You cant take her freedom with out consulting her. You know she wouldn't like it." Darien growled, then bent down, careful to keep his hands away from Serena as Andrew took her off of his shoulder.

"How do we get out of here?" Nikolai asked, apparently ignoring the talk Andrew had just had with Darien. Darien snorted.

"Darien wants to find the others before we leave." Andrew interpreted.

Nikolai glared at Darien. "Fine." He growled. "Where are they?"

"I think that we were all placed at various points. I will bet that there is another hall somewhere along this one that will hold the girls." Andrew said thoughtfully. Darien sniffed at Andrew, knowing that Andrew had been with the scouts and Cat, and hoping that he would catch a scent. Andrew frowned at him but didn't complain. Darien lifted his head and sniffed again, this time catching a scent that he had smelled on Andrew. He growled then started plodding toward where the smell was coming from, his hand tightening on the splinter of wood.

"Why in the hell did you make this place such a maze? I thought the Limbo took up most of the room." Andrew hissed at Nikolai, apparently trying to be quiet but unable to stop himself from asking the question. They had turned three times, following various corridors as Darien traced the odor, which was becoming stronger as they went.

"Limbo is above us. We are beneath. If I did not have a maze, I would be dead by now. Few people do still know about us, and they will hunt us." Nikolai stated a frown in his voice. Darien growled quietly, picking up the sounds of a conversation.

He couldn't tell who the voices belonged to, or even what they were saying. They were muffled, but what he could tell is that they were angry. But he also suspected that by now something should have happened, even if they had just happened onto someone. It was going way too easily. He wasn't going to complain, but he was starting to think that it was a trap.

The voices grew closer, and he was able to figure out that they were behind a normal door. He crouched listening intently to what was being said.

"You cant blame her for this." One feminine voice stated, angrily.

"We should never have followed her, we could have gotten her out of this if we had just waited." The second voice stated. "Now be quiet while I work on this lock." Darien couldn't help the smile of relief that spread across his face. Of course, he suspected that it looked like he was getting ready to bite something. He moved slightly closer, watching as something was fitted into the hole where the key went. If he could have laughed, he would have. He slammed his fist across the knob as he had done with Andrew's room, and heard Cat's gasp as her trinket got stuck. "Damnit!" She snarled through the door.

"What was that?" Lita asked, sounding like she was coming closer to the door. Nikolai reached his hand into the hole and again the telltale click of the lock echoed in the hall as the door swung open.

Both Lita and Cat had hunkered down to stare at the lock, when it swung open. As Darien looked around the door at them, they just lifted their heads, the surprise on their faces undeniable. Darien laughed, the sound coming out as broken growls.

"I think he's laughing at us." Cat said frowning. Lita frowned but straightened up.

"You aren't going to eat us are you?" She asked, the growls stopped. Darien stared at them, remembering he was still in wolf form. But Andrew moved to his rescue stepping around him, still carrying Serena, to frown at the two girls.

"Where are the others?" Andrew asked. Lita's eyes narrowed at Serena then looked up at Darien accusingly. Darien snorted. "Don't worry, he says he didn't do anything to her." Darien growled looking at him. "You did?" Darien tried to nod. He mimicked picking Serena up, pointed at the doorknob, then at Serena. "He says that he had to pick Serena up in order to get out of his room. I am thinking they put a pure silver door on his room as they did mine." Darien growled in agreement.

Lita frowned. "How is he stopping himself from attacking us? He's only been a wolf two months." She glared at him doubtfully. Darien growled, trying to shrug.

"I don't think he knows any more than I do." Andrew said.

"If you are all done with the gossip of the evening." Nikolai stated darkly, reminding Darien that they still had to find the other three girls.

"We're in here." Amy said through the door across the hall. "I have been listening." She added. Darien frowned. Something was wrong. It was too convenient.

Nikolai grabbed the doorknob and jerked it off the door, letting the door swing wide. Darien barely had time to react. Mr. Thomas sighted down his gun, as it exploded, striking Nikolai in the arm, as Darien pulled him aside. Darien noted the tape recorder on the floor, and the cruel look on Mr. Thomas' face. He shoved both Cat and Lita aside and leapt at Mr. Thomas. The gun exploded inches from his chest. He felt the acidic burn as the silver bullet burrowed its way into his stomach. He howled, his claws raking Mr. Thomas' chest. Blood squirted over Darien, as he felt the ribs snapping like twigs beneath his fingernails. Mr. Thomas may not be dead, but he was definitely out of commission.

Darien tried to ignore the pain as someone grabbed his shoulder and jerked him back on his feet. Nikolai's arm hung lifelessly at his side as he wrapped his good arm around Darien and both struggled to follow the others down the hall.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

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_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

* * *

How they had managed to get out of the building, Darien never remembered. He remembered only that he had pointed once. He guessed later that Andrew had had to change form to lead them the rest of the way.

Darien woke up in the hospital several hours later. He was alone in a darkened room, an IV seeping into his arm. As he tried to sit up, he felt the burning sensation in his stomach. Something sounded outside the room, and after a second an older man entered. He glanced at Darien and shook his head.

"Don't worry. Lycan hospital." The man stated shortly. He had a very faint English accent. Darien relaxed slightly. "I have to check that. Yer due in for surgery in a few minutes." The man stated pointed at the wound in Darien's chest. Darien growled in warning. "Andrew told us to take the best care of both ya and the princess as possible. I promise that I wont hurt ya… Actually, I take that back, it will hurt, but not as much aft we get that bullet out and knit the tissue." The man said. Darien relaxed completely. The man lifted the covering and touched the wound. Then he reached over to a tray that Darien hadn't noticed before, grabbing a small knife. He slit the spot where the bullet had gone in before Darien could do anything.

Darien flung him across the room, glaring. "Oh." The man moaned, pushing himself to his feet. "You aren't a prince here, ya' know." The man glowered. "If I don't keep that wound open it will heal with the bullet inside, which makes it even tougher to get the damn thing out. So behave yerself."

The door opened again and Andrew entered, glancing at the obstinate man then at Darien. "Darien, you cant through the doctors around like rag dolls." Andrew said, his voice sounding much like an upset parent. Darien growled. "Go ahead, doc. I will keep in check." Doc stood and frowned at Darien.

"Petty." The Doc grumbled annoyed as he went back to work on Darien's bullet wound.

"I thought you might want to know that Nikolai has been treated, they had to repair the tissue in his arm, apparently the bullets have some kind of acid on them, it eats away at tissue. We were able to get Lita and Cat out." Andrew sighed. "They have staked out the Limbo until we are able to go back in." Darien snorted. "Darien, we have to go back, Molly, Amy, Raye, and Mina are still in there. I wouldn't want to be the one that tells Serena that we weren't able to get them out."

Darien froze. Tell Serena? They weren't taking Serena with them. He growled at Andrew, trying to ask what was wrong with her.

Andrew understood, but looked around for a chair to sit in. "I don't know if you need to know. We have to go back in the moment you are able to get moving. We all thought it would be necessary to get them out during the day, while the vampires slept. Nikolai even applauded the plan." Darien growled in warning. "She's in a coma, Darien. A bad one. The doctor's aren't sure if she's going to wake up. She lost too much blood and the hole in her leg got infected. She also has a huge concussion, they said from the night before last, that wasn't treated. A big gash has torn open the back of her head… her skull is showing through." Andrew's voice started to shake, but in anger or in fear, Darien didn't know. Instead his own anger was setting him to a violent tremble. Andrew continued unaware of Darien's anger. "She has four broken ribs, one of which is close to puncturing her lung. A fractured hip…" Andrew buried his face in his hands. "It was amazing that she was still alive when we showed up, Darien. The doctors are used to the Lycan fights but they swear that they have never seen this much damage on someone."

Darien stared at his long time friend. He felt as though his heart was being ripped out of him. Serena was dying and he was sitting there letting a Doctor probe him when she was the one that needed the doctors. Darien swatted at the man. "That wont help 'er, m'boy." The doctor said softly. "We got the best doctors workin' on 'er."

"Darien, let the man work. He's right, it wont help Serena for you to get worse." Andrew said, peering through his fingers at Darien. "Amy's mom is the best doctor there is for trauma like this, but we cant get her without Amy's help. We need to get the others out of that damned place, for Serena's sake."

Darien stilled again. Not noticing the prick in his arm as the doctor gave him a sedative. The last thing he remembered was Andrew standing and nodded before leaving the room, then the world went mercifully black.

* * *

The surgery had gone well, the tissue, though sore, was healing well in Darien's stomach. The doctors had been worried that the stomach acid would leak out adding to the acidic compound of the bullet to make the problem worse. But they managed to get the bullet out, sent it to analysis and found the base chemical that would stop the acid's progress. After they were finished, and starting to sew him up, Darien had woken up in a fit. They had almost been forced to use another anesthetic to stop him from tearing them apart, but they had been saved when Andrew entered the room and got Darien's attention, reminding him of their need.

They were outside the Limbo about a half hour later. It was almost five o'clock, which meant they only had an hour to get the others out. Darien sat hidden under a blanket in the seat next to Andrew as they had drove through the town to get there. Once parked, they waited a few minutes before they saw Cat emerge from the shadows of a back alley and approach the truck. She moved with a casualness that instantly had Darien's teeth on edge. She didn't want to appear in a hurry in case someone was watching, but he couldn't stop himself from wishing they were already inside. His most pressing thought was to get Amy and the others out of there, get Amy's mom, even if he had to kidnap her in the middle of the human hospital and force her to fix Serena.

Cat finally reached Andrew's window, and smiling, leaned into the cab, as if she was greeting some friends. The only thing that gave her away was the hard glint in her black eyes. "We found the back entrance. We can get in. Right now Lita's inside, she's looking for the girls as we speak."

Darien gave her a sharp look that she interpreted with ease. "She is dressed as a delivery girl, besides this is a test to see if she can handle herself in a situation."

Darien growled. _This isn't the time to be testing protégés_, Darien wanted to say. Cat sighed but nodded. Darien realized that she could understand him. She again nodded. "Yes, I can hear your thoughts, though its hard. Its better to say I can feel your emotions. Thoughts are way more complex." She stopped, as if realizing that explanations could come later, then narrowed her eyes. "Go around the back, through the alley on the other side of the block." She hissed, kissing Andrew on the cheek before dropping out of the window and making her way back the way she had come. Andrew started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.

The circled the block and entered the alley as instructed, then climbed from the cab and Darien threw the blanket back into the seat. He wondered vaguely how they were going to fit everyone in the cab of the truck with him being all beastly, but then realized it was a moot point. After all, Lita and Cat were there and they no doubt had a car. Cat greeted them again and led the way to the door hidden by a large green garbage can. They all squeezed behind the can an then through the door.

Cat peered around, as if expecting the bad guys to appear out of thin air. Darien sighed. He didn't have time for that. Instead he scented the air again and bolted, following Lita's scent. "Damnit." Cat snapped behind him. "Why did you bring him?"

Darien didn't have to go far, being intercepted by Lita and the others, who looked pale and frightened. Lita grabbed his arm and jerked her into the ranks with them. "They are on our tails. We need to get out of here." She shouted, leading the way back to the back door. As they passed Andrew and Cat, Darien grabbed Andrew, and Lita grabbed Cat. Both were pulled into the haphazard party as they made it through the doors and into the sunlight. Darien immediately grabbed Amy's arm and pulled her toward the truck.

"Careful, Darien." Andrew shouted behind him, as Darien shoved her into the cab. He grabbed the blanket that still sat on the seat and climbed into the back, pulling the crude covering over himself. He felt the cars balance shift as Andrew climbed into the cab.

After a moment, the car was started and they zoomed back down the alley. Heading for the hospital.

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_Please read and Review  
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	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

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_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

* * *

Serena felt like her head was broken apart. Nothing was like the pain she felt. Her leg throbbed in the background, but her head felt as though it had survived an internal explosion. Opening her eyes, she flinched in pain. The light was too bright, it looked as though the whole room was made of light. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Someone or something moved around her.

She forced herself up, searching for her gun, but couldn't find it. "Calm down." A soothing voice said softly from behind her. "You are ok."

Serena turned to face whoever it was. Another ploy, she knew it. What game was Guy up to now, she wondered, trying to see through the light.

"Let me go." Serena said, her voice sounding thick.

"Normally, I would say that I am not holding you." The woman stated. "But in this instance, I have to say no. I had to do multiple surgeries on you and I will not let you out of my sight."

"Who are you?" Serena asked, despite herself.

"Amy's mom, remember." The light was clearing away enough that Serena could make out the outline of a woman in doctor's clothing. "Do you know who you are? What date this is?"

"I know who I am." Serena snapped. "Is this another game, Guy?"

"Oh, dear. I knew that this would happen. Hold on, let me get Darien."

"You're not leaving this room." Serena growled.

"Now that is enough, Serena." The woman stated, her voice displaying her temper. "Darien has been worried sick, he needs to know that you are alright."

"Yeah right, and let me guess, I am actually in a hospital and hes waiting outside the door." Serena stated sarcastically.

The woman nodded. "Now can I go get him?" Serena stared at her confused.

"Funny joke, Guy!" Serena shouted. "You stay where you are!" She snapped as the woman moved.

Serena heard a door behind her open and looked over her shoulder to see several more silhouettes appear in the room.

"Serena?" Darien's voice asked.

"Definitely not funny. Darien is still in wolf form, idiot." Serena snapped.

"She cant see?" Darien asked the woman.

"Apparently, not. I don't really want to get close enough, with her acting like this, to find out." The woman replied. Serena frowned feeling confused. This was a game, it had to be. Guy wouldn't have just let her and Darien out of that closet of a room. Darien wouldn't have been able to open the door, either. She remembered the people putting her and Darien in their room saying something about the door being silver. Had the others gotten out? Serena wondered, thinking hard. Someone moved closer to her, the conversation still going on around her.

"Do you think she remembers everything that happened?" Darien asked.

"Again I don't know, she wont tell me anything."

Serena jerked herself off the surprisingly soft bed, grabbing the person who was closest to her. Gasps filled the room as Serena angled her hands so that she could snap the person's neck. "Tell Guy that I wont play another of his games."

"Serena!" Andrew snapped, sounding shocked. "Let Lita go!"

"If this is really Lita, she can get out of my grip pretty easy." Serena said disbelieving.

"I don't want to hurt you, Serena." Lita's voice said from the body in front of Serena. It was thick with concern and surprise.

"I don't believe you, Lita wont let me hold her like this." Serena growled. The light was still slowly ebbing, and she was starting to discern the muting colors. The girl's hair was brown. Looking around, she could see only blobs of shadowed colors.

"I think that this answers the fact that she can see. Why doesn't she recognize us?" Darien asked, worry edging his voice.

"I think it's the surgery to relieve pressure behind the optic nerve. She may be suffering sight damage." The woman replied. "Come on, Serena. No one will hurt you. I promise you."

"What is going on?" Serena asked feeling her strength ebb. She felt a fine tremor in her legs, and sweat begin on her forehead. It was also starting to get cold.

"She's moving around too much too soon after having surgery, Darien. We need her back in that bed, now." The woman stated, her voice growing with alarm. Something moved behind Serena, and she twisted, flinging an elbow into someone's face.

"Serena, I'm sorry." Lita muttered, her voice filled with regret. She took advantage of Serena's distraction and managed to get a hold of both of Serena's arms. "Now, knock it off and get back into bed. You are really sick." She forced Serena to back up until her knees hit the bed. The moment they did, Serena collapsed backwards, and Lita, surprised, went flying. Serena groaned as the pain in her head reached a climax. The world faded.

* * *

Darien sat beside Serena's bed, watching her eyelids flutter in her dream state. He clung to her hand almost hoping that she would come around, yet knowing that she needed the rest to heal. It had been over a week, since they had kidnapped Amy's mother, at Amy's direction, and since the various surgeries had been performed. After the surgeries, they had managed to explain what Darien, Andrew, and to a point what Serena was. Darien had stayed in wolf form until the full moon was over, curled at the foot of Serena's bed, to the great annoyance of Amy's mother.

Hope had returned to Darien when four days after the surgery, Serena had woken up. Even though confused, she looked as if she would be ok. But the strain of the moment had put her back into a comatose state. Amy's mother couldn't really explain it, there was no pressure on the brain. But for two days after she went back into a coma, Serena had had a fever. Amy's mother lost sleep trying to help Serena's body cool down, even going as far as taking Serena and dumping her into a tub of ice, feeling that there was nothing more that they could do. That had broken the fever and thankfully, didn't put Serena in shock, as Amy's mother had thought it would.

He shook his head. They had had to go back to Limbo shortly after Serena had awoken. Nikolai had contacted the Ancients and explained what had happened. It had turned out that the Ancients hadn't known of the attack on him and Serena. They immediately recalled the vampires that were staked out at Limbo, promising punishment. Darien, Nikolai, and Andrew had gone to the Limbo to find Guy and the others gone. Molly and several other vampires, and pack members, had been close to death. Darien remembered the looks of relief as he and the others got them out of there. Nikolai looking angry had torched the Limbo, before they returned to the hospital. Darien didn't understand why Nikolai had done something so extreme but he figured he would ask at another time, and hopefully Nikolai wouldn't take offense.

Serena's eyelids fluttered again, bringing Darien back to the present. Her body convulsed, and Darien after being warned of seizures grabbed Serena's shoulders. Instantly, her eyes open and she shoved him away from her. Darien climbed back to his feet and stared at Serena as she looked around.

"Am I dreaming?" She asked softly. "Where am I?"

"At the hospital. Well, the lycan one." Darien said, barely containing his hope. "Do you remember anything?"

She gave Darien a petulant look and he laughed. "Guys! Guys! She's awake!" He shouted at the door, his eyes never leaving her face. He couldn't help the doubtful thought that maybe he was dreaming. But she flinched at the loudness of his voice and frowned at him doubtfully.

"Quit shouting, Darien. You might wake up the dead." She shook her head, then wincing raised a hand to her bandaged forehead. He went to her bed, unable to stop himself.

She looked at him questioningly as he carefully sat down. "We thought you were going to die." He told her softly. Her eyes widened, then she shook her head.

"Nonsense. I don't think its possible for me to die." She said, rubbing the bandage. "But I think that there is some explaining to do, like what happened to my head."

Darien laughed.

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_AN: Please read and review.  
_


	22. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies. (In other words I have no rights to SM or the SS in any way, shape, or form.)_

_Warning: Profane language, violence, sexual content and blood, gore, vampires, werewolves and all the good stuff. M-rated. _

_Double Warning: Bad writing involved._

_Amy's mom knows what Darien and I are now. I am not sure if I like that thought. At first, she thought it was a joke, I heard. But when Darien kidnapped her it was a completely new story. She is still surprised at how fast I managed to recover after the fever. She said that my temperature was constantly 105, and that any human would have died after two days at that temperature. But I survived and I'm not a vegetable. Not that that helps matters. _

_I was allowed back to the palace today, Amy's mom promising me to come to check on me when she got off work every day. Amy is thrilled, she sees it as being able to spend more time with her mom. I see it as a pain, it means that Amy's mom doesn't trust me to stay in bed and relax. I would, but the kitchen happens to be downstairs and I know that there are doughnuts in it. _

_Once again everything has changed for the better. Guy Drake, who Nikolai tells me is a vampire, and his cronies have left. The Ancients have dropped the contract on my life. Though Nikolai tells me that now that I have enemies amongst their ranks that my life is still in danger, he wont release Cat from employ. In some ways I find that surprising, but in others I find myself worried that people are still going out on a limb for me._

_I realize now that if I hadn't had everyone's help, I would probably be dead. I don't like the thought of them risking themselves for me, but I honestly think that they could have been killed because I was hiding things from them, all because I was scared of risking them. They will risk themselves for me, no matter if I ask or even tell them what is happening, or not. I think that it's more dangerous to keep them in the dark now. Lita agrees profusely. They risked their lives for me without knowing what they were facing. I guess I had been stupid thinking this was only my war. It's a war to keep the bad guys down, and the good guys free. Is that what cops do every day?_

_I have noticed strange behavior in everyone, well, usually when they are around Darien. They watch him as if he's about to bite them. But then again, Darien had done something surprising, he had managed to control his beast when he is only technically two months old. They have also been really cold toward Raye. I want to know what's going on, but I figured that sooner or later I will find out. Besides, I have enough problems of my own to worry about without adding the strange behavior of everyone else to them._

_Like getting downstairs and getting a doughnut without anyone noticing._

_Serena._


End file.
